Fallen from Grace
by junkojunko
Summary: Kaoru is a former geisha and assasin after the war...now they are calling her back...Oh no... She meets Kenshin on a mission... What will happen especially as Battousai starts to surface...hehehe...
1. Default Chapter

standard disclaimers apply

edited it to be factually correct

* * *

Kamiya Kaoru walked along the banks of the river, which flowed through the streets of her hometown; this young woman was the heir of the Kamiya Kashin Ryu style, a legacy left behind by her father. A sword that protects. One that does not kill. It was a good dream, a great vision but alas that is how it's meant to be, a vision, an impossible dream.

Admiring the ripples she caused on the calm surface on the river, she felt a familiar person approach her. Dressed in a farmer's attire, this man eluded the grace of a ninja and a deep commanding aura.

"Good afternoon, Kaoru-Chan. Wonderful day, isn't it?" he greeted.

Kaoru smiled bitterly. "I'm surprised you have the mood to admire that scenery. You were never a bringer of good news. Aren't I right, Happosai?"

"You were always a direct one," chuckled Happosai. "Your services as a maiyo are required again at the House of hundred flowers."

"I refuse. I left that profession years ago," said Kaoru in a voice that quivered with anger.

"If you don't, many people will die."

"I don't care, the world should learn how to take care of itself. I don't want to earn such dirty money again. No wait, I forgot. I worked for free."

"If you don't, I'll tell Battousai of your previous escapades. I'm sure he'll be delighted to know that his woman was a maiyo. Even if it is one step down from a geisha, most men will take erm…offence at women who had to parade around entertaining other men for a living," said Happosai without blinking an eye.

Kaoru froze in a spot. "That's low even for you," accused Kaoru.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. Believe me. I'm not happy to call you back." Happosai admitted sincerely.

Kaoru looked deep into his eyes and realized that he was telling the truth. "Alright," she consented. "I'll leave first thing tomorrow."

The ripples expanded and spread to the other end of the bank. Something was spreading through Japan like a plague just as the ripple did in the river.

That's how she ended up to on a boat to Kyoto, miserable and alone. She had convinced the others that she was actually going to Yokohama instead because a friend of her had invited her for a holiday.

They were disappointed that could not tag along but nevertheless did not suspect a thing.

At the same time, Saitou was informing Kenshin about the turbulence in Kyoto. Kenshin thought about the absence of Kaoru. Her absence was a huge load off his mind. Since there was no need worry about her safety as well as her concerns, he took it up.

They set off on that day itself to Kyoto.

* * *

Kaoru arrived at the harbor and hailed a horse carriage. She had been here before and the last thing she needed was someone to recognize her and inform Misao. She was too afraid to think about what might happen if that happened.

The kind driver loaded her case and inquired about her destination.

"The Sakura teahouse please," Kaoru replied.

The driver's cheery face grew grim. "I don't that's a place you should be going Miss. That's not place for girls."

Kaoru smiled and replied. "I have no other choice."

The driver grunted his dissatisfaction but proceed.

His worries were not unfounded. The House of hundred flowers was the most notorious house in Kyoto. It looked like all the other teahouses on the outside but the locals commonly knew it as a place filled with temptation. Rich merchants who knew Kyoto well enough frequented there as it had the most beautiful and experienced geishas around. Geishas were considered a very formal elegant entertainment career though there was still a certain social stigma attached. People would discourage their daughters from looking, much less becoming geisha especially under the new law where they had rights equal to cattle. All in all, not a happy profession to embark on.

Kaoru was wearing a simple plain blue kimono to avoid attention thus looked like a perfect picture of sweet innocence. No wonder the driver warned her against it.

Kaoru stared out of the carriage sadly. Something bad must have really happened for Happosai to threat her to return. He knew more than anyone how she hated her past and craved for a simple life.

As the carriage pulled in to the House of hundred flowers, waves of dread washed over Kaoru. It looked exactly as she remembered, plain yet elegant. Waking through the wooden doors made her realize how much she actually hated this reminder of her shameful past.

The owner as well as head geisha, Madame Butterfly, greeted her at the entrance. She had been in the business as long as Kaoru knew, rising through the ranks with ridiculous ease. Kaoru was in awe of both her ravishing beauty as well as cunning wit. Age was kind to her with only a few streaks of white at forty.

"Nice to see you back my little raven, we have many tasks for you ahead," she welcomed.

"Hai. Mistress," whispered Kaoru as she obediently followed.

* * *

hopefully more correct

Pls R&R


	2. chapter 2

Disclamier: i dun own any of the characters

* * *

Kaoru was led up the polished teak steps to a suite decorated artfully in blue, black and white. This was her restroom. Connected to it was another room, which she used to entertain guests. Painted in gold and other rich colors it looked utterly sinful. This was not unexpected as she was and still is a high-ranking geisha.

Placing her simple belongings in the cupboard, she circled her old room. It was dustless, spick and span as ever. Despite being showered with many lavish gifts, Kaoru never had the taste for the high life thus Madame Butterfly had delegated her a private room and a suite in an attempt to coax her into taking more guests. It had worked for sometime until Kaoru decided to leave the trade completely.

Looking around the place she had once called home, Kaoru smiled at the onslaught of memories that took over. She had made good friends among many of the other geishas. They had actually be trained as spies before and chosen the cover of a geisha.

They along with Madame Butterfly as the head were spies and assassins for hire. Kaoru was introduced to this trade when Madame Butterfly saw the potential in her. Since she was about five, Kaoru had been part of the group. The balancers they were called. Specially trained spies to maintain the balance between good and evil. Evildoers thought of Kyoto as the net for their nefarious schemes thus the Sakura teahouse or better known as the house of a hundred flowers chose it for their headquarters.

There were exactly one hundred spies on active duty at anyone time. They helped both the good and evil, as a balance between them was required for peace. Though it was usually the do-gooders who needed the help. Now that she was called back, it meant that the bad had gotten an upper hand as she usually fought amongst the good guys.

Sighing a little, Kaoru looked out her bay window. It had begun to rain.

* * *

In the police head quarters at Kyoto, Kenshin was also looking out the window, admiring the light drizzle. Yamagata, the head of this operation, was looking solemnly at him. He knew that he need Kenshin and his band of fighting friends help the moment her had stumbled on the dead bodies in the woods. He also knew that to benefit form his help, Kenshin would most probably have to break his vow of not killing. Saitou who had accompanied them knew it. Aoshi and the rest of his gang knew. Kenshin himself knew it. However, he was hesitant to break a vow, which he had carried out faithfully for more than a decade.

"I'm not asking you to kill but I hope that you will do the right thing when the time comes," said Yamagata as he walked up beside the younger man. Looking down at the small man, Yamagata realized that his thin shoulders had carried a lot weight. Too many hope and aspirations for one so young.

"I will" Kenshin replied softly yet firmly. The rain outside got heavier.

* * *

Hope you like it so far...

sorry if it is a little short...suffering from mild writer's block

thanks to Shannon, angel of lonelyness, erica6060,half breed demon fox,Brady brunch4529,evilteddybear and inuyasha/kenshin gurl for all your great reviews


	3. chapter 3

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

Raven a.k.a. Kaoru, dressed up for the night's performance in her room. While most people dressed up, she had been dressing down in her years in Tokyo to avoid attracting attention. Now, removing her thick layer of make-up, Raven admired her reflection.

Her normally pale skin was as flawless as a piece of white jade which gleamed under the candlelight. Her sapphire eyes were endless pools which seem to try and reach out and capture a person's soul. Her ebony hair was pulled into a loose bun with a few sideburns to frame her now drop dead gorgeous face.

Donning a blue, slightly low-cut kimono, she was ready. A light tap on the door informed her that it was her turn. Taking a diamond-studded fan, she walked, rather floated on the stage.

Despite not having danced for many years, her body still flowed with fluid grace. Light reflected off the fan, blinding her audience, tricking them into believing that they were witnessing a dance by a fairy. Music wept in the air like those played by heavenly angels. The audience was captivated. Astonished. Stumped at the magnificent sight.

Applause struck and echoed off the walls of the room as Raven made her exist with a fog-like mist surrounding her. Never had anyone seen a dance filled with so much beauty, so much grace and emotions.

Raven smiled slightly at her audience and broke the hearts of many a man in the room for her smile was like that of an opening flower, beautiful.

"Well done my little Raven. You have yet to lose your touch," commented Madame Butterfly with the slightest hint of pride in her voice. Raven merely bowed lowly. "Follow. We have guests."

Raven once more bowed lowly and followed obediently. She had taken a potion to counter the effects of the potion she had taken years ago to change her voice. While she had regained her original voice, she found it unfamiliar to her ears thus chose silence instead. She tucked her fan securely into her obi, anticipating an interesting evening.

They traveled down a long winding hallway to one of the many wings. Giving a signal to be alert, Madame Butterfly let her in.

Inside the brightly lilt room. Raven felt her heart stop.

Kenshin was there.

Kenshin felt her gaze hit him like two slow punches to the gut which he could not avoid as much as he could breathe. Her eyes seized his and held him there.

"Raven!" snapped Madame Butterfly as she glared at her.

Raven took no notice and proceed greeting Kenshin "Battousai" and Saitou in her now harmonious voice. It sounded like mist over a lake, soft and mysterious. She then commenced her usual task, the tea ceremony. Meanwhile the entire focused their attention on her.

Madame Butterfly accepted her cup without as much as batting an eye before asking Yamagata, "What are you here for? You didn't bring a group of fighters to ask for my forgiveness."

"No, I didn't," answered Yamagata. "I'm asking you to help the government." He replied as he accepted his cup with much less composure. They had a relationship of sorts during the revolution and had parted on unhappy terms.

"The government degrades us to have as much value and rights as livestock and now wishes for our support. That is a laugh, don't you agree?" Madame Butterfly said, coal black eyes firing.

"I know that you are unhappy with the government but we really do need your help," Yamagata continued, trying his best not to squirm at her gaze that would make even the most veteran soldier's knees weak.

"As you can see, I have a highly informed crew. I have no need for the westernized government to offer us protection." Madame Butterfly shrewdly pointed out. Inside this traditional Japanese room, it sounded much like an accusation.

"You said that you have a highly informed people, but they may not be able to protect you," Aoshi who had remained silent till then said.

It was only then that Raven acknowledged the other presences in the room. They were Sanosuke, Aoshi and Yahiko.

"Unless your geishas can fight, I can hardly see the protection that can give you," smirked Sano.

Madame Butterfly tried hard to suppress a laugh but ended up guffawing. Raven smiled but refrained from laughing.

"Oh really, why don't you take a punch from Raven before saying something as stupid as that?" suggested Madame Butterfly. "If you can still stand, I'll offer my help."

"Sure. Piece of cake," grinned Sano. He rubbed his hands excitedly.

Raven took one look at Madame Butterfly for affirmation before punching Sano in the gut. She had hit the softest, most sensitive of the gut that had Sano doubling over from the pain.

"Still so sure of yourself?" inquired Madame Butterfly, her tone slightly mocking.

"What do you feed your girls?" asked Sano. "Opium?"

"No. They are just good at their trade. Being a geisha and spying. How did you think we became known as the Balancers?"

"I am well aware that your girls are good which is why I am asking for your help," said Yamagata.

"Well that's too bad, I don't feel like helping a government who does not regard as fit to be humans," said Madame Butterfly with her head up high. "See our guests out, Raven." She then stormed out of the room.

Yamagata sighed and looked at Raven, saying, "I don't suppose you can tell me how to get her help?"

The corners of her mouth tweaked up as Raven replied, "She wants to help. If not, she wouldn't have tried so hard to get me back. You are a smart man, Yamagata-san. You should know how to appease her."

"That's as good as not answering," he rebutted.

"I am but a little girl. Such things worry me not. You should be more worried about the task at hand, at least that is what I believe."

"Can't you drop a hint?" asked Kenshin politely.

"When I am sure I am out of harm's way. Will you please follow me?" asked Raven. The others nodded and did. She led them out of the teahouse and onto the carriage.

"Can you tell us now?" asked Yahiko who was growing impatient.

"You are too young to be in such a place," frowned Raven.

"We will see to his protection," stated Kenshin. "The hint?"

"Grovel." Raven left that word hanging there as she slapped the wooden door in front of her.

* * *

thank you to Chibi-Kari, lady isil, erica6060, Anonymous miss, Brittanie Love, ariel, scythe195, saskia2, evilteddybear and everyone esle who have reviewed. thanks alot

hope you like this chapter.


	4. chapter 4

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

"The Balancers are a group of spies and assassins who were formed after the Bakumatsu. They are mainly made up of orphans picked off the streets. They are not firm supporters of right or wrong. They think that it's important to maintain a balance between good and evil. They don't help only one side. Right now they are our best lifelines as both sides of the pugilistic world respect them. This could help us to get more information on whatever's in the wind." Yamagata explained at a gathering he called after the gang's first meeting with the Balancers.

"But will they give us over to the other side when we're done and good triumphs over evil?" asked Yahiko.

"I doubt they will like us over much," continued Sano.

"That is unlikely. Like I said, they are not supporters of good or evil, they just balance it off. It is not part of their nature to betray unless it is for a valid reason. They loathe betrayal more than anything," answered Yamagata.

"That makes them righteous, right?" asked Yahiko.

"Right and wrong. They have no sense of justice in particular but they do not support several immoral values like lying etc."

"That makes them dependable?" asked Saitou. "A dangerous assumption to make General."

"May be but there are some who are dependable. I have sent a message for some to meet us here. I suggest you reserve your opinion before coming to a resolution," replied Yamagata. "Also beware of them, they may be on our side now but there is no telling if they would abandon us.

This is the first time which the Balancers have an agreement with the new government. Bitterness over the new laws and lack of discipline had reached the hearts of their members. That was the main reason for the lack of support against Shishio. They felt the government should try to fend for itself. This caused them to sit on the fence during the last incident.

Now after so many years, the Balancers have decided to form a united front against the most vicious enemy, the Carrion Crow.

This is a very important alliance. I stress, very important. The Balancers are a prominent group of assassins and people which the government cannot afford to over look or ignore anymore. The last law left us in dire straits. If we should offend them now, Japan may fall into political and social instability. Beware of how you treat them."

"Why do you give in so much to them? We could always do away with quietly," commented Saitou.

"And incur the wrath of the whole pugilistic world? Not a chance. They are respected by all. Even a subtle removal of them would enrage many people." Yamagata explained, massaging his temple. "Too many people think your way. That's one of the reasons why they look down on our government."

"I see that you are indeed knowledgeable," chuckled a voice by the window. A figure had approached unnoticed by the rest and was now sitting idly on the window ledge. She was a petite little girl, with her flowing hair pulled up into a simple braid. She was dressed in a Prussian blue ninja's attire, toying with a very wicked looking dagger in her hand.

"Ah. Blade. It's good to see you again," smiled Yamagata. "You've grown since we last met."

"Really? I think you are just trying to flatter me," joked Blade. "I thought you have completely forgotten about me."

"It's hard to forget someone who throws daggers like you do. Thanks for responding to my message. I thought you would have ignored it." Yamagata flashed her a weary smile, one of a person who had seen to many things.

"You are not corrupt as officials go, it's not that hard to agree. I brought along a few friends you should meet," Blade said, jerking her head towards the window.

Two other figures entered. They were two striking beauties that sported a sword each. They were dressed in black and white respectively and their faces were two photocopies of each other.

"Meet the Yin Yang Sisters. They are our spies keeping an eye on Carrion. I thought you should meet them," explained Blade.

"Thanks for the introduction. I had hoped you let them meet me. I suppose you already know the fighters I have assembled?" questioned Yamagata.

"Is that a dig?" asked Blade, eyes narrowing.

"Not the least. I'm just wondering what you people didn't know."

Blade chuckled and replied; "Very little I would say, especially since Raven back in business. I have no idea how Happosai did it but I would kiss his feet in gratitude."

"I don't remember ever meeting Raven," commented Yamagata, smoothing out his moustache absently.

"Naturally. She is our most high profile assassin. You need lots of weight to meet her but that's beside the point. The Yin Yang sisters got something I thought you should know." Blade gave them a nod.

"Carrion Crow has a secret hide out in the woods. He seems to be preparing for a battle of some sort," replied the one with black hair.

"There are many weaponry which will work to our disadvantage if he should use it. There are some very advanced canons and guns which are currently not available in Japan. We will be at a serious disadvantage if we don't rid of it soon," explained the one with white hair.

"We suggest that we ambush it at night after the final shipment is stored. We've already checked, by midnight tonight, the stores will be picked to the brim," the one with black hair said. They looked so alike that their color was the only way to tell them apart. Currently both were looking intently at Blade.

"And ripe for picking. Good idea. Raven wanted a stretch. This may be a good time to give her one. We don't want her blowing a fuse not, do we?" asked Blade with a devious smile on her lips. Her eyes were twinkling with mischief. The Yin Yang sisters nodded, mirroring her eerie smile.

"Would you like some of your fighters to join us? Yamagata. It'll be a good time to know who's on which side," suggested Blade.

"I'm almost afraid to ask 'Why?' " Yamagata responded suspiciously.

"If Raven does not get enough of a work out. She can always spare with Battousai or Saitou and spare us the agony." Blade answered smiling even more deviously than before.

* * *

Thanks for all the great reviews.

**The-Lone-Lemon **thanks for ur comments 

crypticmaidenrk thanks for the great review

Aya45: thanks

Chibi-Kari: hope you like this chappy

erica6060: i willmost probably put her in nxt chappy

evilteddybear: i wil finish this but not so soon. you'll find out what his reation may be a little later

animeover11368: it's an so called original but i sincerely doubt so cos there are so many fanfics

scythe195: Kenshin can't tell it's Kaoru cos she dun need to hide her fighter's ki anymore and looks almost completely different.

i'm hope this chappy clears some doubts.

also i'm announcing that i refuse to put up another chappy if this story does not have at least 50 reviews.


	5. Author's note and revised chap 4

Author's note:

sorry if you could not understand te previous chappy esp to animegurl23 and Kuroi Koneko.

my apologies and a new revised version of chapter four.

for misao lovers. i added her too as part of my way of saying sorry.

italics are the new changes. if you are sure of the chapter, you should just read it anywayi added new parts.

* * *

"The Balancers are a group of spies and assassins who were formed after the Bakumatsu. They are mainly made up of orphans picked off the streets. They are not firm supporters of right or wrong. They think that it's important to maintain a balance between good and evil. They don't help only one side. Right now they are our best lifelines as both sides of the pugilistic world respect them. This could help us to get more information on whatever's in the wind." Yamagata explained at a gathering he called after the gang's first meeting with the Balancers.

"But will they give us over to the other side when we're done and good triumphs over evil?" asked Yahiko.

"I doubt they will like us over much," continued Sano.

"That is unlikely. Like I said, they are not supporters of good or evil, they just balance it off. It is not part of their nature to betray unless it is for a valid reason. They loathe betrayal more than anything," answered Yamagata.

"That makes them righteous, right?" asked Yahiko.

"Right and wrong. They have no sense of justice in particular but they do not support several immoral values like lying etc."

"That makes them dependable?" asked Saitou. "A dangerous assumption to make General."

"May be but there are some who are dependable. I have sent a message for some to meet us here. I suggest you reserve your opinion before coming to a resolution," replied Yamagata. "Also beware of them, they may be on our side now but there is no telling if they would abandon us.

This is the first time which the Balancers have an agreement with the new government. Bitterness over the new laws and lack of discipline had reached the hearts of their members. That was the main reason for the lack of support against Shishio. They felt the government should try to fend for itself. This caused them to sit on the fence during the last incident.

Now after so many years, the Balancers have decided to form a united front against the most vicious enemy, the Carrion Crow.

This is a very important alliance. I stress, very important. The Balancers are a prominent group of assassins and people which the government cannot afford to over look or ignore anymore. The last law left us in dire straits. If we should offend them now, Japan may fall into political and social instability. Beware of how you treat them."

"Why do you give in so much to them? We could always do away with quietly," commented Saitou.

"And incur the wrath of the whole pugilistic world? Not a chance. They are respected by all. Even a subtle removal of them would enrage many people." Yamagata explained, massaging his temple. "Too many people think your way. That's one of the reasons why they look down on our government."

"I see that you are indeed knowledgeable," chuckled a voice by the window. A figure had approached unnoticed by the rest and was now sitting idly on the window ledge. She was a petite little girl, with her flowing hair pulled up into a simple braid. She was dressed in a Prussian blue ninja's attire, toying with a very wicked looking dagger in her hand.

"Ah. Blade. It's good to see you again," smiled Yamagata. "You've grown since we last met."

"Really? I think you are just trying to flatter me," joked Blade. "I thought you have completely forgotten about me."

"It's hard to forget someone who throws daggers like you do. Thanks for responding to my message. I thought you would have ignored it." Yamagata flashed her a weary smile, one of a person who had seen to many things.

"You are not corrupt as officials go, it's not that hard to agree. I brought along a few friends you should meet," Blade said, jerking her head towards the window.

Two other figures entered. They were two striking beauties that sported a sword each. They were dressed in black and white respectively and their faces were two photocopies of each other. _One of them was also holding a struggling Misao_.

"Meet the Yin Yang Sisters. They are our spies keeping an eye on Carrion. I thought you should meet them," explained Blade. _"They also found a little voyeur whom I believe happens to be of your acquaintance."_

"Thanks for the introduction. I had hoped you let them meet me," answered Yamagata.

"_Would you mind releasing me? I hate to be carried around," protested Misao violently as she tried to extract herself from her captor's vice like grip. "You are going to bruise me."_

"_That would be very kind of her. They are usually very brutal when dealing with people like you who sneak up behind everyone's backs," pointed out Blade with a wicked grin. "There is nothing spies hate most than being spied on."_

"_Release her," commanded Aoshi._

"_With pleasure," the lady replied and tossed Misao in to Aoshi arms. _

_Aoshi caught her before her bum was about to make a most intimate contact with the hard floor._

" I suppose you already know the fighters I have assembled?" questioned Yamagata _who was unfazed by the commotion. He was jaded against this sort of thing from their previous encounters._

"Is that a dig?" asked Blade, eyes narrowing.

"Not the least. I'm just wondering what you people didn't know."

Blade chuckled and replied; "Very little I would say, especially since Raven back in business. I have no idea how Happosai did it but I would kiss his feet in gratitude."

"I don't remember ever meeting Raven _in our previous collaborations_," commented Yamagata, smoothing out his moustache absently.

"Naturally. She is our most high profile assassin. You need lots of weight to meet her _because she hates to deal with clients_ but that's beside the point. The Yin Yang sisters got something I thought you should know." Blade gave them a nod.

"Carrion Crow has a secret hide out in the woods. He seems to be preparing for a battle of some sort," replied the one with black hair.

"There are many weaponry which will work to our disadvantage if he should use it. There are some very advanced canons and guns which are currently not available in Japan. We will be at a serious disadvantage if we don't rid of it soon," explained the one with white hair.

"We suggest that we ambush it at night after the final shipment is stored. We've already checked, by midnight tonight, the stores will be picked to the brim," the one with black hair said. They looked so alike that their color was the only way to tell them apart. Currently both were looking intently at Blade.

"And ripe for picking. Good idea. Raven wanted a stretch. This may be a good time to give her one. We don't want her blowing a fuse not, do we?" asked Blade with a devious smile on her lips. Her eyes were twinkling with mischief. The Yin Yang sisters nodded, mirroring her eerie smile.

"Would you like some of your fighters to join us? Yamagata. It'll be a good time to know who's on which side," suggested Blade.

"I'm almost afraid to ask 'Why?' " Yamagata responded suspiciously.

"If Raven does not get enough of a work out. She can always spare with Battousai or Saitou and spare us the agony." Blade answered smiling even more deviously than before.

* * *

pls R&R

i'll reply all reviews in nxt chappy cos i have no time now

byes

by the way Happy EASter.

here's an easter present from me!

loves Junkojunko


	6. chapter 5

Standard disclaimers apply

* * *

Great maroon clouds gathered over the gray skies.

Tonight was the first night that the Kenshin-gumi was going to work together with the Balancers. The atmosphere was crackling with tension as the group waited for the expected arrival of Blade, the Yin Yang Sister and most importantly, Raven.

There are only four of them tonight, Kenshin, Sano, Aoshi and Saitou. The rest had been forced to stay back at Aoiya by sheer force. Misao especially had been drugged so that she would not follow on the sly like earlier that day. Aoshi was very determined not to let her in on this mission.

"Do you think they'll be late?" asked Sano while chewing on his usual fish bone. He was getting impatient and the tension seems to grate on his nerves.

"I doubt so. They said midnight so midnight it should be. We are early tonight. It's not yet twelve," answered Kenshin. He was sitting up in a tree to keep a look out for them. The shadows cast down on him hiding him from view. Only his violet eyes shone out from the darkness, giving people an eerie sensation.

The clock sounded in the distance. Once. Twice. Thrice.

Finally the clock sounded its twelfth stroke.

Shadows started to dance around the gang. Everyone's hands went to their weapons with the exception of Sano.

Earsplitting cawing broke the calm stillness of the peaceful night as ravens surrounded the gang. They perched on nearby trees and stones and turned their coal black eyes to the gang. Kenshin leaped down from the tree and they formed a tightly knitted circle, facing their now raven-crowded surroundings.

"What the devil is this?" Sano whispered harshly.

Kenshin shook his head and watched the ravens. They seemed to be under a spell, staying perfectly still on their perches. Their ebony eyes focused and boring holes into gang. The woods fell once more into a ghostly silence.

"I see you found them my little beauties. A job well done," a voice crooned from the darkness. A dark figure stepped out. She was none other than Raven. She was dressed a pure black kimono which had been expertly modified to allow her freedom of movement. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail and her face was tattooed with what looked like a wide spread raven. She still looked like a beauty.

Blade and the Yin Yang sisters followed her closely behind.

"Sorry about the shock," grinned Blade. "Raven's ravens needed a wing stretch." Blade supplied the explanation as a raven fluttered down to rest on Raven's arm.

"You have an odd way of meeting with your fellows," commented Saitou sarcastically.

"I'm sorry about the shock," Raven said, her voice no more than a whisper hanging in the air. "I hope you will forgive it as a slip on my part."

Saitou took one look at her and huffed.

"Shall we continue?" asked the Yin Yang sisters together. "The time is approaching."

"Yes, we should be making our move. After all we should strike when the iron is hot," suggested Blade.

Raven merely nodded and kissed the raven that rested on her arm on the beak. That raven opened its scarlet mouth, unleashing a piercing shriek. The other ravens took off and disappeared for the night. The last remaining raven flew vertically and disappeared into the trees above them

"This way," led the Yin Yang sisters down a nearly invisible trail.

"Finally," sighed Sano in relief. "I was wondering when we would get to the party."

"Watch yourself," cautioned Kenshin. "I have a bad feeling about tonight."

"Don't worry. Nothing can go wrong," assured Sano.

They were led to a compound where there were hoards of people who were moving many crates into a dilapidated wooden house.

"This is the warehouse. We will strike when the sky turns completely red," instructed Blade.

The others merely nodded as they surveyed the scene before them. Kenshin and Aoshi especially kept an eye on Raven during the survey. Despite their tense situation, they observed that Raven gave off no fighter's ki what so ever. This worried them immensely as it meant that either she was not a good fighter, which was unlikely, or she was a brilliant fighter maybe even better than they.

Raven also watched them from the corner of her eye. She knew that they were watching her and a seed of worry planted itself in her heart. Yes, she was Raven, a feared assassin but she was also Kaoru, the dojo owner they knew. She had been crest fallen when she stood alone behind the door which she had slammed in front of her during the last meeting. For some reason, she felt dejected when they couldn't recognize her. Not even Kenshin who had spent most of his time with her could recognize her. That realization caused a small ache in her heart.

She was still the Kaoru they had known in Tokyo. The same Kaoru who would chase after Yahiko when he called her busu. The same Kaoru who would scold Sano for gambling and getting free food at her house.

The same Kaoru who followed Kenshin to Kyoto when he fought Shishio. But she knew why they couldn't recognize her. Because the assassin Raven and Kamiya Kaoru were worlds apart. Kaoru was kind as Raven was cold blooded. They would never have guessed that they were actually the same person. She had moderated her ki in Tokyo to a one of a run of the mill fighter but here she hid it completely. It was hard even for her to accept the fact that her quiet peaceful life while false was gone. There was no turning back to her 'normal' life as if the Kenshin-gumi while retarded gathered the bits and pieces of her disguise and place them all together thereby discovering her true identity. She may look and sound different but there would always be lapses in her disguise. All she could hope for now was that the day would never come.

"Before I forget to mention again, let me inform you first," said Blade suddenly, breaking the silence. "WE never leave any survivors. Everyone in this compound dies tonight."

Kenshin and the rest of the gang stiffened. Kenshin especially had a horrified expression on his face.

"That means," elaborated Blade. "You will kill all the people down there or we will kill them for you."

Kenshin's face ashen and his sword hand gripped till his knuckled turned white.

* * *

Hope you are still enjoying it

Kuroi Koneko: happy the you liked the revision.

diego54: if Misao is Blade, I can't give her a comical reaction when she finally realizes that Raven is Kaoru. Tt's why Misao can't be Blade.

animegurl23: dun think of it as too much. I didn't do much changes to it anyway

Kean: happy you like it. Reason for double chap, I forget I could replace.

erica6060: real happy you enjoyed it

saskia2 and Butterfly87and Prince Aoshi and Aya45 and cyjj: I know I'm taking long to update but I have my 'o' levels this year so I dun have much time. Anyway happy you like it

mirabelle7: hope you will continue to support and review this story

The-Lone-Lemon: thanks for your support

Tameka-tanuki-jouchan: happy you enjoyed it.

Chibi-Kari: I'm very happy I made your day. I hope this is good to you too

Evilteddybear: yes KaoruRaven. You made some good guess but they must come in only later. I will be sure to make it an enjoyable read for you.


	7. chpater 6

Fallen from Grace: chapter 6

Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Kenshin's thoughts

This is wrong. I should not have to kill them. But if I don't, they will kill them anyway. Life is scared. It should not be viewed as valueless dirt and discarded. They should not kill. I should stop this madness. I should stop this senseless killing.

Yet in the deepest darkest depths of my heart, I'm happy. I wish, no want to kill again. I want to feel the hot spurt of blood as my sword slices my victims. I want to feel the power of being able to decide another's life and death. I want to do this.

Battousai is getting stronger. The temptation of blood is too strong. While I swore not to kill, I desire to kill again. To be the manslayer who I really am.

'You know that you are a murderer. Nothing you ever do will change that fact. You are as bloodthirsty as I am,' taunted his darker half, Battousai. 'Killing is in our blood. As much as you wish to control me, rein me in, you are unable to control your own lust for blood. Your oath means nothing. It's just another way you try to curb your blood lust.'

* * *

Kenshin's hand tightened even more around the hilt of his sword. His fingers now stood out against the dark hilt, their bone-like whiteness in jarring contrast with the unforgiving dark night that surrounded them.

* * *

Raven observed Kenshin by the sidelines. She knew that he was waging a war inside himself with his conflicting personalities. His eyes were screwed shut and he was taking deep breaths to soothe a racing heart. A few strands of his crimson hair swayed with every slight movement of his head as he struggled to retain some semblance of control. Somehow, Raven knew that she should go up and explain to him why they were not leaving any survivors but she could not find a way to do. She did not want the gang to be suspicious of her behavior.

Finally she gave up to monitor the few workers moving weapons into the warehouse. They were all rail thin and held haunted looks in their eyes. Pieces of cloths dangled precariously from their bodies, preserving a very faint sense of propriety. They were obviously either malnourished or over worked.

Still she had no pity for them. They were only puppets in Carrion Crow's hands. The only reason they worked for him was because of their addiction to drugs. They had become addicted to the drug commonly known as Zeus which gave them feelings of ecstasy. They had no doubt offered to work for him in return for the supply of drugs. She had no sympathy in her heart for men who sold their souls for a shameless white powder that reduced them to zombies. After all, they were as good as dead. When their supply of Zeus was cut, they would all fall dead immediately as the withdrawal effects were fatal. That's why she had no qualms about killing them. The day they were addicted to Zeus, they could no longer be considered human beings.

Though she knew the gang might not accept her reasoning, she kept to it. There had never been a case of anyone recovering from his addiction no matter how mild. She also sincerely doubted that the men slaving in front of her had the backbone to break free.

* * *

The woods darkened as an enormous cloud swallowed the moon. The normal night sounds became softer and softer. Soon, it faded to nothing. The only sounds were of the creaking crates moved by the workers that grated against the still night air. The woods were hushed, an audience before an exciting scene of a play.

An icy breeze cut through the air like a swift knife. It cut through the hearts of the gang, freezing them, like a preparation of what was to come.

Thunder rumbled in the distance as Raven closed off her heart and summoned the bloodthirsty assassin within.

* * *

hope you like it... pls R&R

replies to reviews:

PEACH : real happy you like how i descirbed Kaoru. hope you enjoyed this chappy

AnimeFreak86, ariel just-sum-one, The-Lone-Lemon, animegurl23 ,cyjj  
: real happy you all ike ti so far. pls continue to R&R

butterfly87:a little late to change Blade to Misao but i see what i can do

erica6060, Moonmage, Aya45: hope you like this chappy

Punkey-Monkey: hope this chappy answered your Questions

Chibi-Kari : glad you enjoyed my ending

evilteddybear: i know you would wish i updated sooner but i have no time. so i updated the moment i could. do pls forgive me.

Kuroi Koneko: your answers will be the next chappy

overall msg: i know that i took very long to update but i will try to be faster

hope you all still like it :p


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry for the seriously later update but i have so many tests and mock papers

replies for reivews will be posted with the next chapter

please keep them coming and sorry again.

Fallen from Grace7

* * *

The atmosphere changed drastically as the real assassin, one Raven took control of Kaoru's body. She was the side of Kaoru's personality that not only knew how to kill; she enjoyed the thrill of it.

Kaoru's eyes were tainted by a few blood red wisps, glowing slightly like those of a predator in the night. She licked her lips in anticipation as her hand shifted to cover her weapon, a simple metal fan. There was no need to carry a sword since most of them lacked the energy to fight.

She shifted almost noiselessly into a fighting stance as the environment gradually darkened into a mysteriously maroon.

The others backed away from her, half out of fear, half out of self-preservation for she pulsed with an aura which caught them off guard. It was completely dark and sent chills down their spines.

"Let the games begin," smirked Raven as she disappeared into thin air.

"What do we do now?" asked Yahiko, completely disoriented by the turn of events.

"We wait," answered the Yin Yang sisters in union. "Until Raven gives us the signal if she wants us to join in the fighting with her,"

"Where is she anyway? There's nothing going on," asked Sano as he strained his eyes to see more clearly into the darkness.

"Oh really?" grinned Blade as the coppery stench of freshly drawn blood filled their nostrils.

The others sped towards the warehouse as fast as their legs could carry them and were greeted by a horrendous sight. Raven was standing in the middle of piles of bodies that were splattered with blood. While there were no disembodiment, the sight was still petrifying. Blood tainted the white of the dead men's eyes, which were all wide open in eerily peaceful manner. Their facial expressions were blank like dolls, further emphasis their lack or rather lost of life.

Raven's lips curved slightly at the ends as she flicked the blood off her fan. The silvery moonlight that reflected off it blinded the gang and brutally yanked them back into reality.

"How…how…could you do this?" Kenshin asked in an angry whisper. "How could you kill them just like that?"

"You have your own principles as I have mine. You uphold your rules while I abide by mine. I would say that that's quite a fair answer," replied Raven.

"I hate to waste. Couldn't you have left at least one hostage?" questioned Saitou, unfazed by the sight.

"I did. That fat one over there," replied Raven jerking her thumb at a bloodied obese man. He wore considerably better clothes than the others and a cap that bore a symbol of an outstretched crow.

"I just broke his legs so that he couldn't escape. He ought to be very open to discussion," Raven added.

Saitou smiled his signature cold grin as he walked over to the casualty. The smile that promised that there was more 'playtime' following.

Kenshin was having a very hard time trying to rest after the incident. His hurricane of thoughts whirled within his already crowded head, squeezing themselves in the already limited space. The sight of the corpses was not what chilled him. It was the ease at which Raven did. The astounding efficiency of the killing. The utmost silence of it. Even in his heyday, he had never been as silent as her. There were usually a handful of muffled cries or near silent pleas. But that was not the case.

Raven had the look of an angel, a dark forsaken angel. No one who looked at her would perceive her as capable of such monstrosity. Even when he had witnessed it firsthand, could not dare believe his eyes. He had prayed fervently during the first few seconds that the sight was not true. Regretfully, it was.

What tugged at his heart most was the fact that she looked remorseless. She faced the bodies with a blank face, no a trace of regret or guilt. There was no indication on her face of having felt ashamed of committing such a heinous crime. He remembered that there was a time he had been like her. Cold and unforgiving. Always certain that what he did are for the better of the world. As it turned out, he was wrong. He fought and destroyed exactly what he sought to save the happiness of others. He had gone on killing fathers, brothers, husbands and friends. Tomeo taught him that lesson. It was heart wrenching and painful but nevertheless helped him put into perspective the crimes that he had committed.

It helped to jolt him back into the painful reality. The reality he thought he had escaped from by picking up the sword. Alas, life is full of irony. He took near a decade and a half to realize that, sacrificing many alongside. He hoped in the depths of his battered heart that Raven would not face his sorry predicament.

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

Fallen from Grace8

standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Raven stared out the window, admiring the lovely blossoms that were blooming in the garden. The sunlight shone on them, making them glow like jewels. She was half leaning on the window ledge when the door creaked open.

A young serving maid poke her head in nervously and said, "You have a visitor, Raven. Madame Butterfly said to let him in. She wants you to take good care of him."

Raven closed her sapphire eyes in resignation. One of the things she hated about being a geisha was that she was obliged to obey Madame Butterfly's every whim which, some times they turned out to be quite. When she left, she had yet been deflowered. That was probably the only perk she had gotten from her years of a geisha.

Stretching her sore limbs, she tried to get up gracefully. She had in that same position for almost an hour. Dressed simply in a low cut kimono, she was the looked like a perfect vixen thanks to her temptress-like looks.

Looking towards the door, her eyes flicked in surprise at her guest.

"Saitou. What a pleasant surprise. I never expected you here," Raven commented, moving a little stiffly as she turned to face him. "How may I help you?"

Saitou grunted as he settled down into the plush sofa seat opposite from her. He still wore his police uniform and looked as deadpan as ever.

Taking his time to light his cigarette, he replied, "Neither did I. It seems that many unexpected things are happening now."

Raven's lips curled up into a slight smile as his reply. "You must have a very good reason for looking for me. As I recall, you happen to have a wife whom you are very faithful to."

"I do," Saitou replied without as much as blinking an eyelid. "That is why I appreciate if you adjust your dressing."

Raven compiled by pulling up her kimono until it covered her bare shoulders as a mark of respect for the Mibu Wolf. "It must take a lot to convince the Mibu Wolf to enter my room; something that I believe is against his…uhm…principles." Raven drawled as she poured them a cup of tea.

"Maybe. I chose to regard you as a fellow assassin. I saw your skills yesterday and I must say I'm quite impressed. Who could have thought you had it in you."

"Ah. Praise from the Mibu Wolf. That is not something that you hear everyday. What have I done to deserve such high praise from someone who only acknowledged Battousai as his only worthy opponent?"

"It is what you are about to help me do," Saitou replied sipping the tea. The faint smell of Jasmine waft around him and spread through the room.

Raven raised a delicate eyebrow at his comment.

"Two things to be exact. First is to find out why Kamiya Kaoru was assigned to watch on Battousai and who she really is."

Raven visibly started at that request.

"I know that Kamiya Kaoru never lived there her whole life. She only appeared a few years after Battousai was rumored to be in that area. I want to know who she is working for and her motive for getting close to Battousai," Saitou went on smoothly as he casually tapped his cigarette butt at the ash tray.

"Secondly, I want you to help me bring the old Battousai back. I believe that you may be the one to awaken his inner beast. After all, since Madame Butterfly is full of praise of you, you must have you own way in working things out. Especially after she zeroed in on you saying that you are the best candidate for this task."

Raven cringed inwardly at his words, praying that he did not notice any changes in her facial expression. She knew that Saitou was weary of her as Kamiya Kaoru but she never knew to what extent.

"I'm afraid that I might be of much help because I have no intention of ever coming into contact with Battousai. I prefer the see but don't touch approach," Raven answered as she examined her fingernails. She deliberately lengthen her syllabus to buy time to smooth her ruffled feathers.

"But I'm afraid that you can't go against Madame Butterfly's wishes. She has agreed to help as she sees the positive aspect of that achievement," Saitou replied undaunted.

Raven stared stonily at Saitou as she cursed in with all the most vulgar names she had encountered. He was right and she knew it. Even if she ignored Madame Butterfly's wishes, Kenshin would be in great danger if he carried on fighting the way he was. There was no way she could wriggle out of this issue.

"Regarding Kamiya Kaoru," she said finally, "you stop worrying. She was not sent to watch on Battousai. She rejected that task and settled in Tokyo since it was unlikely that Battousai would appear in the same place again. However as usual, rumors are not always accurate thus they did meet up.

She's not there to spy on Battousai and steal information," Raven said as she looked deep into Saitou's eyes. "She just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time."

"How sure are you?" questioned Saitou.

"Quite. I'll be sorely disappointed if you could prove otherwise. It would mean that I'm becoming slip shot," Raven replied as she stood up to play with one of the many ornaments that was displayed in her room.

"I'll hold you on that."

"Fine," shrugged Raven. "As with regard to Battousai, I'll wait and see. Haste usually makes waste and this is not something to be played with."

Saitou smiled coldly for the first time since he entered. Sparks of anticipation literally flew out of his eyes as he awaited the re-entrance of the real Battousai.

* * *

thanks for all the reviews so far hope you like it. 

Emily: thanks for your great review

Evilteddybear: thanks for great review. Hope you like this chappy

Aya45: happy that you like my view of Kaoru

Adelaide MacGregor: thanks for reading my story

royal blueKitsune: wait and see. I'll make that happen.


	10. Chapter 10

Standard Disclaiers apply

* * *

Back at Aoiya

"I can't believe that you refuse to let me in on this!" shrieked an enraged Misao.

"It's for your own safety," Kenshin coaxed as his ears started ringing from her ranting. Misao had been screaming her head off after she woke up and realized that they had left her behind.

"I am capable of taking care of myself. I do not need you to decide what is best for me. I'm all grown up now and I appreciate being informed about such things," Misao stormed as she paced around the room. Her pigtail swished furiously with each movement.

"Well, we don't think so. Accept it as that," snorted Yahiko who was growing tired of her outraged remarks.

"Don't you talk to me like that Yahiko- CHAN. I am your senior and much better at fighting that you'll ever be in you pathetic life," yelled Misao, shaking her index finger at him.

"Why you…" Yahiko cried as he engaged yet again in another bout of heated arguments with Misao.

"Can't you two give us some peace? The house is noisy enough if you don't mind!' shouted Sano, frustrated by the arguing. He spat his usual fishbone the floor and punched his fists together. "Anyone who does not keep his or her mouth shut will get a beating from me," he declared.

"We are never going to hear the end of this," Megumi commented quietly to Kenshin, covering her mouth with her hand.

Kenshin nodded his agreement silently as he sipped his cup of jasmine tea. The brawling three engaged in a bout in which much of the furniture was either displaced from its position or smashed into smithereens.

Sighing a little, Kenshin turned away from the mayhem and admired the blooming blossoms in the garden. They swayed in the gentle wind like graceful dancers and seemed to move seamlessly in the dance of the spring.

Most importantly, they reminded him of the assassin he met the night before, the one they called Raven. She was beautiful, graceful and seemed entirely out of place in the battlefield like the flowers would be. Yet there she was, blending into the dreadful tapestry of blood and gore as if she was born there. It tugged at his heart for some odd reason, as if he saw himself in her, the once young boy that plunged foolhardily into a war that he could scarcely comprehend and made the greatest mistake of his life. 'What would she be thinking of now?' mused Kenshin as he savored his tea.

Raven stared out again into the yard as she thought of her new task sent down by Madame Butterfly. Bringing out the real Battousai sounded difficult yet easy at the same time. She knew that it was a matter of time before he would eventually win over Kenshin's willpower and emerge on the battlefield yet with the last technique that Kenshin learnt, it seemed that he had complete control over Battousai.

Furthermore, she had no intention of allowing Kenshin within a five feet radius of her unless absolutely necessary. However, she also admitted that was near impossible. What Madame Butterfly wants, she will get, with or without anyone's consent. She would most probably try ways and means to put them together in order for Raven to complete her mission.

'What am I going to do?' Raven screamed inwardly in a bid to vent her inner frustrations.

"Raven?" called out a voice from outside the room.

"What?" she answered vexed.

"Madame Butterfly wants you to doll up and receive some very special guests tonight."

'Three guesses who,' Raven whispered sarcastically as she rose to prepare.

"Why do I have to be here?" Raven asked Madame Butterfly for the hundredth time as they knelt in one of the many VIP rooms of the teahouse.

"Because I want you here. Besides, would you rather be out socializing?" Madame Butterfly pulled out her trump card.

"No thank you," Raven replied as she made a slight shudder. She absolutely hated her guise as a geisha, especially when it meant allowing lewd men to touch her.

"Then you shall stay here and perform the tea ceremony. It's so much better, isn't it?" Madame Butterfly asked sweetly.

"As you say," Raven hushed herself as footsteps sounded in the corridor.

The wooden door slid open to reveal Yamagata, Kenshin and Saitou flanked by a couple of body guards.

"Nice to see you again," Madame Butterfly greeted as Raven bowed lowly until her head touched the floor.

"Have a seat. Raven, serve the tea," Madame Butterfly ordered.

Raven silently nodded as she proceeded to do as she was told. The occupants settled down around a low black coffee table in the centre of the room.

"Why have you asked us here?" Saitou asked outright without any attempt to be polite.

"Because something has come to my attention," Madame Butterfly replied, unfazed by Saitou's bluntness. She was used to dealing with people like him.

"What is that?" asked Yamagata.

"You have a spy in your department. He is stealing information to give to Carrion."

"Who is he?" asked Yamagata.

"There are several involved in the hoax. This is a list of who they are," Madame Butterfly explained as she took out an envelope from her obi and handed it to Yamagata. "I hope that you can deal with them as soon as possible. They might cause trouble in the long run."

"Sure, I'll see to it immediately," Yamagata promised as he kept the letter.

"Why don't you hurry along? I have some things I need to discuss with the others."

"Sure," Yamagata said after a brief pause and left the room.

Raven closed the door behind him as he left.

"Let's proceed to more important business," Madame Butterfly begun. "I have here some drawings of Carrion Crow's technique called the Demon Annihilation Technique." She pulled out two identical books. "Inside you will find the detailed writings on all his sword moves. Since he has probably found ways to obtain knowledge of your sword styles, I thought it would be better if we even the odds a little. You may choose to study it if you wish. There are no strings attached. I just hope that you will defeat him."

"Your hope will be fulfilled as soon as we meet up," Saitou replied confidently as he took the book. "While I doubt I need it, I accept your generosity. There is no harm in knowing more."

"Thank you for sharing it with us," Kenshin replied politely as he took his copy.

"Feel free to ask Raven if you cannot decipher any of the techniques that are written in the book. She will be more than happy to demonstrate it."

"How does she know his technique?" Saitou asked, suspicious.

"I created it alongside Carrion when we were on the same side. I created the moves while he now has perfected it. I don't use this technique because it causes over reliance on physical strength and neglects style. It cause widespread destruction but tires the user out more quickly. Based on my opinion, if you can drag the fight with him for more than an hour, you are a shoo-in as the winner." Raven explained calmly.

"Well that is an astonishing insight," commented Saitou. "What made you enemies?"

"He has sunk into bloodlust. He loves bloodshed more than anything in the world. I enjoy the fight but I can't stand the blood. It makes ours a messy business."

"Well said. Like a true assassin." Saitou commended.

"Thank you."

Kenshin sat quietly at his corner, ignoring the heart wrenching feeling that was over coming him. Raven was openly discussing her job as an assassin as a minor issue one would talk over tea with friends. It both disturbed and unsettled him.

'Just what kind of person is she?' wondered Kenshin.

* * *

Sorry for the extremely late update

i hope you will accept my apologies

take this as my early X mas Present

also i;m accounting a writer's block

suggestions are really required

pls R&R


	11. Chapter 11

standard disclaimers apply

The moon hit its pale face behind the bruise colored clouds as Raven found a perch up on an inconspicuous tree in the Aoiya. She was not socializing tonight, instead got a break from her undercover job. Madame Butterfly deduced that keeping Raven in for too long was hazardous to the occupants of the Sakura Teahouse when she had accidentally threatened another assassin with a knife on her throat. The run in with Saitou had rubbed her nerves raw left her at short ends.

Since it was a rare show of generosity on Madame Butterfly's part, Raven decided to stretch her wings a bit and visit the gang. She slipped in easily to discover that they were enjoying a delicious meal, no doubt the handiwork of Kenshin, in the garden. She sat there covered by the shadows, looking down like a guardian spirit. They were their usual rowdy selves, cracking jokes and exchanging friendly insults.

_How I wish I could still be down there, along with them, doing things that only family do together. Not to mention that there will be no hope of them accepting me now. I just hope they don't dig deep enough to find out about me._ Raven thought ruefully. _Then I can just go back to being the way I was, a simple dojo master who gets into more trouble than your average gangster._

The wind whispered around her, silently encouraging her to join the gang inside. Raven sighed and closed her eyes, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere and the cheery laughter emitted from the room. This was what she needed; a little pocket of piece in all the chaos that had crashed its way back into her world. Her nerves had been shattered by Saitou's discovery and deal with her that she had been mildly out of sorts. It was time to take a step back and get a grip. She did not have much choice anyway, this was no the time to lose concentration and leave her guard full of holes to plug.

She started humming to herself, an old song which her trainer had taught her,

_I can't stand to fight_

_I'm not that naive_

_This world ain't a place_

_Where all your dreams come true_

_Wish I could cry_

_Fall on my knees_

_Find a way to lie_

_About a home I'll never get_

_I'm more than a tool_

_Can't you see?_

_Even killers have a right to bleed_

_It's not easy to be me_

"I can't stand to fight,

I'm not that naïve.

But I know my life

It will never release me.

I can hope

with all my heart

I can pray to all the gods

I can cry for all to hear

But there's no hope that

I'll become free."

Raven smiled sadly as she sang the last the last two verses to herself. She had known that fact for a long time. It was just that she had forgotten herself around the gang and past had to come like a rabid dog to tear open her wound that had barely healed.

"That's not true, you know," a voice suddenly sounded beside her.

Raven flew into full fighter mode as she shifted to look at the other occupant on her perch.

"There's no need for you to look at me like that. I have no intention to fight you," Kenshin smiled serenely. "I was just trying out to see for myself how comfortable it was sitting up on this tree."

Cold sweat beaded down Raven's spine as she tried to clam her racing heart. She had been too engrossed in her musings that she had not thought to hide her ki fully. Keeping a straight poker face, she forcefully relaxed each portion of her body bit by bit. It took a lot of effort not to bolt like a frightened woodland animal to the comforts of her room where she had no obligation to be strong.

"I'm sorry to intrude," she managed to squeeze out eventually between her clenched teeth which would start chattering soon.

"It's okay. Nobody but me seems to notice that you are here," Kenshin replied, still smiling.

"Was that meant to be a compliment?"

"It depends on how you look at it. It is rather flattering though, considering that I almost missed too."

Unwilling to make friendly conversation, Raven said an abrupt goodbye and dashed out. Her hair flew around her, trailing like a train that gleamed in the moonlight.

Kenshin's heart stopped in that instant. She looked more stunning than any lady he ever met, stealing his breath in its wake.

"You are welcomed to come here anytime," he whispered to her retreating figure. "Maybe then, you will realize what it means to be free."

thank you for waiting so long

i know that this is extremely late


	12. Chapter 12

another extremely short chap cos i did it during one of my lectures

hope you enjoy it

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_It is times like this that I am thankful for Kenshin's absentmindedness. He may be extremely sharp on the battle field but I thank all the Gods above for not being so to people he deem as not dangerous. If he had thought for a moment that I was going to barge into the room, I don't think he would have missed any detail of my actions. Who knows, if he thought hard enough, he might actually think that I'm Kaoru. He may disbelieve at first, but he's not that dense to think I have nothing to hide._

Kaoru thought in fear as she dashed across the disjointed path marked out the rooftops. Her form blurred with the speed she traveled, prompting many people to clean their eyes and arrange to make eye appointments. She was traveling at breakneck speed for an irrational fear rooted and sprouted her heart, the fear that even if Kenshin knew nothing about who she really was, he was making it his business to know.

Long after Raven had escaped his gaze with the single-mindedness of a woman fleeing a burning building, Kenshin stared thoughtfully in the dust of her wake. He was not completely blind, he knew that Raven was afraid of him. Not because he was a bloodied manslayer, because of who he was a person. It seemed as if she wanted him to know nothing about her, not her habits and speaking manner, absolutely nothing. _She's afraid that I will be able to identify her in a crowd. _Kenshin realized. _She does not want me to be able to pick her out from a crowd by her mannerism. But WHY? _

This question plagued Kenshin's mind and he tossed out all the cobwebs that clogged in the memories that he had deliberately buried to forget their presence. Still, he had no idea of who the raven-haired beauty was. He had not the faintest inkling of where they had met before or even if they did in the first place.

Picking himself up from his perch on the tree, Kenshin decided to take a stroll down memory lane. He had still had well-buried contacts in Kyoto. There had to be someone who had met her during the civil wars. She was too good a fighter to have escaped the public eye completely, even with Madame Butterfly's extensive network.

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pls R&R

i am hoping at least a few reviews like 10 to continue with this story


	13. Chapter 13

the next chapter as promised

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"How was your little outing, Raven?" Madame Butterfly inquired as she watched Raven climb in through her room's window. She sat completely relaxed on a couch, smoking a pipe that filled the air with a fragrant scent.

"Fine, Madame. Thank you for letting me go out, even if it is only for a while." Raven answered politely as she landed on her bay window.

"I knew from the day that I named you Raven that you were not meant to be confirmed within four walls," Madame Butterfly said easily, taking a deep breath from her pipe. "You are too headstrong and free to be bound down by us. You operate on your own rules that have enabled you to survive so long. I doubt there is anything I can do to take that away."

"If what you say is true, why do I stand here before you?"

"Because again you want to help those who are unable to fight like you do. You know how it feels to be helpless thus you will not leave those in pain at lurch. It's what I like about you, you don't stare and watch people suffer in silence." Madame Butterfly drawled at Raven's confused expression.

"That's a very nice way of boxing me in to say that I must work with you," Raven commented as she finger combed her long hair.

"It is a side bonus. The other bonus is that we may be able to keep a sane Battousai at the end of this fiasco. I can tell that you care for him," Madame Butterfly continued, cutting Raven off before she could protest. "That is enough. We need someone to look out for his sanity. I'm no more pleased by the fact he is helping our less than grateful government than you are. But in times of need, extreme measures are often employed.

While we support Saitou's drive for justice, we also admire and support Battousai's oath of non-killing. Both of them are great swordsmen who have earned the right to decide their path. It would be a waste if any of them died now, for they are living proof that we can decide our own fate."

"I will watch over Saitou and Battousai. That is something that I do not need your orders for. I will continue what I started with Carrion and end it here. The bloodshed will never spread out of Kyoto as long as I live," Raven promised, her eyes flaring.

"That is the best I can hope for now. We can't get everything in this world, but it is worth our while to achieve what we can."

"Can I ask you something Madame Butterfly?" Raven asked suddenly.

"Sure my little bird. But I may not have the answer," Madame Butterfly replied slowly. "Even I do not know everything."

"Am I evil if I have killed thousands?" Raven asked softly.

"That would depend on how you see it. Did you kill because you wanted to or because you had no other choice? The world as we know it is inhuman if you consider it a human-like entity. You should know better than anyone, there is nothing more terrifying than the fight for your own life. Whether you are evil or not is really up to others to label you, but you yourself decide if you truly are evil in your own eyes. If that is the case, then you may be are evil as that is how you perceive yourself to be."

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i know tt it's a little melacholic but i thought it was a nice touch

pls R&R

the next chapter should come soon


	14. Chapter 14

**standard diclaimer apply

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**

"Sorry about this Kenshin, but there is not much information I can gleam out of Raven. All that my informants can gather about her was that she was adopted by Madame Butterfly at the age of three. She was one of the many orphans that recruited to be assassins during the end of the Tokugawa era. The Balancers basically did mass adoption and those who did not make the mark were found dead some way or other. There were those who were stabbed to death, those who drowned and all other ways that you can think of.

You should understand that it is hard to get anything about orphans from that age. People wouldn't spare a second glance at kids since there were too damn many of them then." The speaker was a middle-aged man who was rubbing his stubbed chin thoughtfully. He knew better than to give out an all out no to the former manslayer.

"I understand that this is difficult but can you help me at least find out how she has kept out of sight for the past say ten years or so? I think that I may have met her somewhere disguised as someone else. I would like to know her persona so to speak." Kenshin asked politely as he pressed on.

"That is possible if you can give us a brief idea of where you have been these past few years? Focus on the place that you spent most time in."

"I spent most of the time in Tokyo. That is the place where I have been staying for the past two years." Kenshin replied.

"Tokyo huh? You may consider looking at the Dojo there. There is a dojo owned by the Kamiya family. The owner, Kaoru I think, she has some big patches in her past. No one knows what happened after her mother brought her away at birth. Rumor has it she reappeared because her mother died and sent her back to her only kin. She was about ten then, and no one knew what the hell she had been doing those past few years." The man answered calmly.

"How did you know that?" Kenshin asked. "You seem to know so much even without checking." This man did not give information out unless he was extremely sure so it was queer that he did not cross check his information first.

"I can tell you the answer but you must make sure you keep your cool when you hear."

"I will," Kenshin promised.

"Saitou came over and asked me to check on her. He had a hunch that there was more than meets the eye. Turns out his hunch was right."

"Saitou asked for this information too," Kenshin asked, his voice wavering slightly.

"Everyone has some element in their past they want to hide. This lady took a lot of effort to cover it with many half-truths or outright lies. It took us quite a while to locate what was under all that muck she heaped on."

"You are saying that I have been lied to for the past two years?" Kenshin questioned as his grip on his sword tightened. The veins in his hands started to become more obvious on his tanned skin.

"About the girl's past? Yes. Then again, you have not been entirely honest with her either. That would make you both quits. I don't think that she is lying about caring for you though," the man emphasize as he stared Kenshin in the eye. "She did you a great favor with Shishio. I got word today that the only reason Shishio didn't get what he wanted was because she deliberately sabotaged his army.

If it wasn't for her, you would have never left his lair alive. He figured that he might lose and prepared a thousand strong army outside as a parting gift for you. Shishio wanted to ensure that if he didn't win, you shouldn't survive much longer. He knew that you could not fight the army even if your comrades were with you. Not after all the little fights he placed in your way."

"So I should be thanking her instead? For lying to me?" Kenshin asked, his normal voice sinking to the baritone that defined Battousai.

"I'm not saying that cause if I do, I'll suffer hell from you. Just bear in mind, people tell white lies often to protect themselves and others around them from getting hurt. It seems to me, that this girl put in a lot of effort to spin lies that she could have not bothered about."

"What do you mean?"

"No one would have taken a second glance at her if it wasn't for you. She's just somebody who people look and forget; there's no need to do so much cover up. If she'd chased you out of her home, she would have spared herself the trouble of covering up her past.

Even thought you are no longer as Battousai most of the time, there are people who still keep tabs on you to be sure. They will check up those around you as a safety precaution. The girl I expect would have had less trouble without you."

At these words, Kenshin stiffened as the crux of the situation struck him.

"I hate it when the truth blows up in my face," Kenshin muttered under his breath as he left the scene.

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slight edition because of missing words. hope that it is more readable now it i lost you then 


	15. Chapter 15

Standard disclaimers apply

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"What do you mean that Battousai has been checking up on me?" Raven asked, her sapphire eyes glittering dangerously. She was lounging in her room as her servant in waiting just came back with a message from Madame Butterfly.

The poor girl was scared out of her wits. She managed to stammer out, "Madame…Madame wanted you to know. She…she asked that you talk to him face to face. It's annoying when people who are supposed to work together try to dig out each other's past." With this little speech, the girl fled with the single-mindedness of a person fleeing a burning building.

Raven started to pant slightly from all the anger boiling up. This message also held a not too subtle hint that it was time that Raven stopped hiding and go out to meet Battousai. Since she was revolted by the idea, the mere mention of it upset her. Madame Butterfly was quite willing for her deflowerer to be Battousai and she was not about to give up now, especially since it would secure a valuable ally. She knew that Battousai was very honorable and loyal, making it all the more enticing to seduce him into an alliance.

"What the heck am I suppose to do now?" Raven groaned, rubbing her hands over her face. "Talk about meeting the devil."

She quickly changed from her revealing kimono into an even more revealing female ninja suit. Taking her metal fan and tucking in her belt, Raven leaped out of her room window. She had to meet Battousai by nightfall before Madame Butterfly got more creative and forced her into a circumstance she did not want. Shuddering at the thought, Raven quickly hopped from rooftop to rooftop. She was moving so fast that the pedestrians all thought that they were seeing flashes in their visions.

Raven stopped a few houses from the gang's as she spotted Battousai walking home. It was a brilliant opportunity to talk to him alone… the question was, if that was what she really wanted. Hiding in the shadows of a close by alley, Raven took a minute to catch her breath. She was not panting from her run but rather from the fear and anticipation of the meeting. Her mind was whirling with all the possible outcomes, which frankly were causing a migraine.

"What to do now?" Raven asked the shadows around her.

"Show yourself," a deep baritone echoed from beside her.

It took a great deal of self-control not to scream there and then. Battousai had appeared beside her, so soundlessly that she had not noticed.

"It seems I underestimated you, Battousai," Raven commented as she stepped out of the shadows.

"You have indeed, Raven," Kenshin replied flatly. He was not happy to find her hot on his heels. "For what do I have the pleasure of your company?"

"Your curiosity about me."

"So you heard I'd been asking about you?"

"Of course. It is rare that anyone shows interest in me. So when they do, I pay special attention, especially when they are former assassins."

That was a shot in the dark that hit home. "I do believe that you were complementing me," Kenshin drawled, his anger at her massacre finally surfacing.

"Ah." Raven said as she walked closer to drape herself on his lean form. "I do believe that you dislike me, Battousai. I wonder why."

Guiding one of his hands to her waist, Raven whispered into his ear, "is it because I don't seem to care who I kill? Or is it because you can't seem to resist me?" These seductive words fell unbidden from her lips as years of training for seducing men dictated her movements. Madame Butterfly had trained her well and Raven was not about to let them go to waste. Especially when she was reasonably sure it would repel Battousai from her.

Wrenching himself away from Raven, Kenshin hissed, "Have you no respect for yourself? You are a great fighter yet you degrade yourself this way. By…by acting as a cheap whore."

"Why Battousai, I do believe you care for me. As to why I do this? This is the only profession I have ever known. What else can I do?"

"You can make an honest living." Kenshin squeezed the words between clenched teeth as Raven draped herself on him once more.

Tiptoeing her fingers down his chest, Raven smirked evilly. "You haven't the faintest idea of what I am capable of, or what I have done. If you knew, Battousai, you would laugh at what you have just said."

"I don't believe that you are here by choice."

"Right you are. However, seeing as I can't get out of it, I take pleasure in dragging down as many people with me as possible. It's boring being alone in hell."

"So you are trying to seduce me? I fail to see the point of it all."

"You are honorable, I'm not. If I succeed, you may be in a personal hell courtesy of your own morals. I wouldn't be the least bit affected. If I fail, well, at least I tried." Raven shrugged though her insides churned at the falsehood she was hiding behind. If Kenshin did not back down soon, she was sure she had to end it.

"You do realize you are playing with fire." Kenshin asked as his veins throbbed visibly at his neck.

"True. A little danger always made things more interesting," Raven grinned as she walked away. "Take this as a warning; I don't like people who mosey into my business. If you unfortunately decide to persist, there are two possible consequences. One, I will strongly encourage you to do something you will regret. Two, your pretty dojo master will disappear from this world forever."

"What do you mean by that?" Kenshin cried gripping her arm tightly.

"I will make her vanish from the surface of this earth. When that happens, poor Kamiya Kaoru who did nothing wrong but to house you will never be heard of again." It was a bit underhanded of her to use her persona, but Raven was reasonably sure it made a good threat. Furthermore, it threw off suspicion about who she really was.

"You will leave her alone," Kenshin demanded, gold flakes flickering in his eyes.

"Honestly, she is already mine to begin with. Be careful, Battousai. You may be very strong, on the outside only, you can't expect all your loved ones to fight like you."

"What do you want?"

"You to stay out of my affairs. I am by no means a nice person, I become horrid when pushed." Leaving that last comment, Raven disappeared back to place she came from.

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hope you like the new chapter

thanks again to Ginny for beta reading

pls R&R

i appreciate it very much


	16. Chapter 16

Sorry for the long wait

i'm suffering the attacking writer's Block

Suggestions on how to continue are welcomed and being begged for

pls

pls

pls

pls

* * *

Kenshin stood in that alleyway for a long time after Raven left, his mind in turmoil. There was still too much information to be processed. Kaoru was possibly a spy, quite a high level one if he was to judge and Raven had just staked a claim on her. This meant that she could be working under Raven or have been captured. If Kaoru was captured, she could be locked for his interference or due to her past. If she was working under Raven, there were more questions in his mind as to why.

His head was throbbing with more than pain; it was experiencing an information overload. _My life used to be **simple**_ Kenshin moaned under his breath as he slowly trudged back to the Aoiya.

Suddenly, the alley with the close walls and aisles of trash seemed to suffocate him. The seas of people he had to wade through to go back became more than a minor hindrance, it was the ultimate annoyance to his befuddled brain which demanded rest.

His life became more complicated than it was.

What he did not know was that it was going to worsen more than he could have imagined.

(Now to bring back our neglected Blade)

"What do you want me to do, Madame Butterfly?" Blade asked; her eyebrows crossed in question. "It's not like you to have Raven on a mission and not assign another one to me."

"How right you are my little Blade. I have already found one for you," Madame Butterfly crooned as she examined her nails. "I want you to mix things up a bit at Battousai's base, where he and his gang are staying. They are too free if they can find time to poke around asking about us."

"What do you want me to do?" Blade questioned, her eyes taking on a mischievous glint.

"I want you to…erm…how to put it? Try melting their Aoshi-sama. You look very much like his secret crush; that Misao girl. I want you to turn his life upside down and inside out. This will teach him to mess with us. How you intend to go about it is of course… entirely up to you. I just want him to keep his mind on the circumstances."

"How can he pay attention if I'm turning his world in circles?"

"That's his problem. Be sure to tell him that you will not stop wrecking havoc until this business is done."

"Consider this mission accepted. I haven't anticipated any mission… like I have for this one." Blade smirked slyly.

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anyway enjoy


	17. Chapter 17

hey all

i came out of hibernation to write another chappy

sorry for the long. i'm stuck in exam times.

* * *

"Blade," Raven called out as she caught her leaving Madame Butterfly's room. She had been waiting there ever since she heard Blade had been summoned for a private meeting.

Blade turned back smirking at Raven, "Are you looking for me?" she knew full well that Raven already had an interest in the mission.

"You already know what I wan to ask, let's not beat around the bush. It doesn't mean that I don't like fighting with you that I will not." Raven calmly threatened, all the while keeping a serene smile on her delicate features.

"Madame wants me to stir up trouble on the gang that dares to question our identities. Do you want a share?" Blade smiled mischievously. "It'd be more fun if you are around."

"I'm afraid that they'll recognize me," Raven quietly replied, turning her head away.

"Then I'll bring them here for you," Blade declared loudly. "It's about time you started on your personal mission too." With that she hopped off the window quickly moving toward the Aoiya.

"Wait…"

* * *

"We really need to find out more about the Balancers," Sano said. "It's really eerie to work around them when they know us inside out while we are kept in the dark."

"For once, I find myself agreeing with the moron rooster head," Saitou declared quietly.

"Take that back!" yelled Sanosuke as he stood up to whack him on the head."

"Enough Sano." Kenshin commanded. "You'll only end up getting hurt." He said in a much softer voice.

Sano heard the murmured comment and finally restrained himself. He knew better than anyone whether or not he could beat Saitou.

"IF you really want to know about us, why don't you ask the source?" Blade leaped down from her perch on the tree. She slid down gracefully to snuggle up beside Aoshi who almost blended in the background earlier.

"Show some respect," Aoshi said as he jerked himself away from the petite girl.

"I fail to see why since you hardly have respected us," Blade replied, her comment cutting bloodlessly.

"You know all about us, we don't know nuts about you. Nobody will place themselves in such a foolish position," Saitou countered reasonably.

"Ah… I see your point but you could just ask us straight rather than send ice man here to spy on us," Blade drawled as she drew herself closer to Aoshi until her chest almost brushed his.

"How would we know that what you are saying is the truth?" Sano accused. "We are hardly fools to be pulled around by you."

"You must understand our situation, Blade dono. We need to understand the Balancers for a good working relationship," Kenshin added politely.

Aoshi at this moment stood up to sit in the corner, leaving Blade sitting all alone.

"You are so closed minded, Battousai. Who says you must work with only the people you know? That's so yesterday," Blade smirked. "But you are right; I would just drown you in lies."

"Even you admit it, so why would we ever trust you?" Sano snorted.

Blade pouted. "That would seem to be the case. But you can always trust Raven."

"What does she have to do with this?" Kenshin asked.

"Because she will not harm you; She has no reason to lie to you; She is the only person who is waiting for all of you to disappear from her sight." Blade ticked off the reasons on her fingers. "I don't want you to leave so soon. I can't play with people who aren't here." Blade smiled slyly, tweaking her head to stare at Aoshi.

Aoshi shifted slightly, probably the only sign that he was uncomfortable around Blade.

"She'll answer you truthfully, she can't wait for this fiasco to finish and go home to her honey." Blade added.

"Honey?" Sano asked.

"Her lover I presume. Who knows what she has been up to these years. When Happosai brought her back, she almost tore down the Sakura teahouse before she tried to figure out what called her back."

"So she has a lover? I thought she was a geisha?" Saitou inquired, his eye brows rising in curiosity.

"Raven has always been eccentric. No one knows she is up to. The only thing predictable about her would be when she wants to fight."

"How do I know you are not lying?" Kenshin questioned.

"You could ask her. She's not receiving customers today because of a headache. Madame Butterfly will let you see her if you ask."

"Why do I smell a rat?" Sano announced.

"Because I'm a confirmed spy from the Balancers?" Blade answered the question for him. "Oh yeah, I'll be staying here for the next few days, hope you don't mind."

"And if we do?" Sano blasted.

"That would be entirely too bad for you." Blade spat out the words to his face. Turning towards Kenshin, she asked, "So will you be going to see her?"

"I will since you came all this way to deliver the message though I would request you leave since your task is complete, Blade dono."

"I have another message; Yamagata will come here tomorrow to receive it. Meanwhile it's too troublesome for me to go back now."

Looking straight into Kenshin's eyes, Blade said, "Be careful around Raven. That's the best thing I can tell you. Don't fall for her; she'll rip your heart to shreds."

"Rest assured about that. I have no intention of doing so."

"We'll just have to see about that."

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yeah

hope you all like it

plsR&R

i might pop out of hibernation more oft.


	18. author's note

author's note

this is to clarify all the loose ends that i need to before i post the next chappy.

i will be editing all the previous chapters to be more factually correct.

Geishas are not prostituties. they are entertainers. they just sell their virginity once in their lives during the transition from apprentice Maiyo to Geisha.

i also want to add that Karou/Raven is not a Geisha. i'm keeping her a maiyo until further notice.

thanks for reading.


	19. Chapter 19

Sorry for the exceedingly long wait. i'm still stuck in the middle of exams but i've completed a new chappy. i hope this comes at a good time :)

* * *

A chilly gale swept through the streets, hissing like a sinister snake. The lights of the Sakura teahouse glimmered like a fisherman's light, egging unsuspecting fishes towards an assured doom.

Kenshin stood opposite the teahouse, resigned to the fact that his feet would only bring him here. He shifted almost unnoticeably as he watched the crowd drift by. Many rich and influential men came in carriages, some being turned away because they were unable to secure an appointment.

It was in general a bustling street, much more orderly than Kenshin's thoughts. If the washing machine had been invented in that era, his mind could have been the inspiration. Polarized information from Blade and Raven were confusing to say the least. He could not quite figure out if he and Raven were to be friends or enemies. She gave him the impression that she would rejoice if he had jumped into the river and drowned himself.

"Good evening, Battousai." Madame Butterfly silently walked to stand beside Kenshin. She had been observing him for a while. Nothing happened outside her teahouse without her knowledge.

"Good evening, Madame Butterfly. Please do not call me Battousai. I'm Kenshin now," came the automatic polite reply.

"Kenshin, then. Why do you not enter?"

"I have no wish to enter."

"But you are observing our front door so."

Kenshin could not form a plausible reply to that.

"You do wish to enter, but not for the reason which all those you see enter." Madame Butterfly smirked one of the odd Cheshire cat's smiles, her eyes thinning into crescent moons.

"You're here to see my black raven, aren't you?"

"Possibly," Kenshin replied neutrally. He hid his eyes behind his bangs to prevent his emotions from being easily read.

"She's feeling a little homesick. I deliberately brought her back from the place that she had hid away from the world to fight Carrion. She misses the family she left behind."

"I suppose you had her best interests in mind," Kenshin asked quietly, his voice not betraying the displeasure of knowing why Raven came back.

"I didn't. She knows it better than anyone else. If she left me to my own devices, she'll be geisha, not a virgin maiko." Madame Butterfly continued nonplussed. "People don't join our profession because they want to; they do so because they have no choice. Being geisha, you only entertain men with your musical or dancing skills. It's better than a whore, even if you can never marry."

"But being maiko and hitokiri?" Kenshin inquired, "That's even more than normal, is it not?"

"We do what we can to survive. Maikos like her or even my best Geishas don't earn as much and we hope to keep our other activities going. I'll do what it takes to ensure that the girls grow up, even as a sinner, I would still do it. We have different views of life, but I do regret bringing Raven into this world."

"Why so?"

"She's very kind, that's why she makes such a great assassin when she gives up her humanity. At the expense of her sanity I can save many others."

"You forsake her. You made her a murder." Kenshin forced his words through gritted his teeth. He chose the road he took so he could not blame anyone, but Raven, she was forced. The thought made his blood boil.

"It's too late to turn back now, she's already one. That's why I will not let her sacrifice go to waste. She knows how to defeat Carrion and the act would help to eliminate some of her sins." Madame Butterfly cocked her head to stare at Kenshin. "Are you going to stop me?"

"Yes." Kenshin replied, glaring his old Battousai glare. "You have destroyed enough of her life."

"You and I have different ideas, too bad. Raven is at the roof of the temple at the edge of town, praying to keep the last of her sanity from all the sinning. It wouldn't too long before she loses her mind from her double life, what a waste." Madame Butterfly grinned as the space beside her emptied.

'Come show me what you've got, Battousai. Let's see if you can free yourself from this trap' Madame Butterfly laughed contently to herself as she returned to the teahouse.

* * *

Raven sat on the roof of the temple praying. The temple was really run-down, having being ravaged and forgotten during the end of the Bakumatsu.

Most people avoided the temple, regarding it with disdain for ruining the pristine images of most of the temples in Kyoto. It was shunned, a good reason for Raven to be able to sit on its roof without inviting suspicion. The quiet the temple offered was by far more preferred to the noise in the teahouse when an occasional lewd man lacked the decency to hide his innermost thoughts.

The wind picked up a few strands of her hair from the loose ponytail, framing her originally stunning features. The slight melancholy only intensified her beauty, making any man who passed by want to drop on his knees to confess his undying love to her. Because he felt that way, Kenshin kept his distance until he got his impulses under control.

"Raven," he called out to her as he landed lightly on the roof, a respectful distance away from her.

Raven only closed her eyes in pain or irritation, she was not sure. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to ask you something," Kenshin responded politely, years of playing the kind samurai paid off.

"Some other time," Raven responded half heartedly. She was in no mood for any human contact.

"You're missing your sweetheart, aren't you?" Kenshin asked softly.

It only took a flick of her eyelash for Raven to decipher what happened before. "You talked to Madame Butterfly."

"Yes. She did most of the talking though. May I speak with you now?"

Raven only sighed and nodded. There was not anything else she could do.

"What's your sweetheart like?" Kenshin asked conversationally.

"Him? He's like you, a wandering swordsman who just dropped into my life. Right now, I wish he hadn't."

"Sounds like me. I have a sweetheart too, though I've never told her. It's Kaoru though I suspect you already knew that. I just dropped into her life and well, I have been part of it ever since. She's having fun with her friends though. I'm grateful for that."

_Some fun,_ Raven/Kaoru thought.

"Where's your sweetheart, since we both already know where Kaoru is." Kenshin asked innocently.

"He's right here, in Kyoto. But he can't recognize me." Raven answered sadly.

"Your hiding skills must be good then, if your sweetheart can't recognize you."

"This is how I always looked. I just hid it, not that it matters." Raven responded bitterly.

"I'm sure he loves you."

"He loves me but he doesn't know who I am. What kind of a love is that?"

Carefully side-stepping the flaming conversational topic, Kenshin asked something that he had been meaning to ask. "Are we friends or enemies?"

"I am your enemy because I want to leave Kyoto and I can't do so as long as you are here. I am your foe because I don't want to be around you. I am friend because I don't wish you dead. Is that a good enough answer for you?" Raven replied sadly.

"Yes. I'm sorry if I had offended you in the past but I hope that we can at least maintain an amicable relationship," Kenshin smiled encouragingly.

"This is as friendly as I'm going to get. Stay away from me, Battousai if you want to keep this peace." Raven declared as she got up to stretch. "I'm not Kaoru. I'll not stay here and pry at whatever is bothering you to make you feel better. She's not who I am, keep that in mind."

"You two aren't alike," Kenshin stated bluntly, slightly miffed with the sudden change in subject.

The barb cut deeper than Raven could anticipate, causing her to visibly wince. "I don't need you to tell me that. I worked so hard for her to stay the unknown happy dojo master. I hope that it stays that way. Don't destroy that happiness with you and your gang's meddlesome prying."

"I'll guard her happiness without your help."

"You don't understand, do you Kenshin? She's already half gone when you researched about her. You'll never regard her with the same mindset again, as time goes on, you'll stop trusting her. What would she be then?" Raven asked quietly as she exited.

Kenshin could only bite his lips in frustration as he realized that she was right.

He was being to doubt Kaoru.

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not exactly a cliff hanger i hope

pls R&R


	20. Chapter 20

standard disclaimers apply

errors have been corrected in this version

* * *

Raven sprinted away from Kenshin as fast as her legs could carry. Her ponytail whipped around her in a frenzy, subtly disrupting the quiet of the night.

"_You two aren't alike ( you and Kaoru),"_

"_You two aren't alike ( you and Kaoru),"_

"_You two aren't alike ( you and Kaoru),"_

The words that Kenshin said had echoed in her head long after she had left him. "But I AM her," Raven wanted to scream into his face and hoped to shake the denseness in his brain out.

But she knew she did not have the courage.

She would not risk the false family that she had created in Tokyo. She enjoyed being able to hide; not being Raven whom people looked at and expected to see a somebody, not another passer-by.

Resting in an old oak tree, Raven closed her eyes in defeat as her feelings got the better of her. She wanted to cry, but lacked the courage to. It was not right her to cry for something that really was never hers. It took courage to realize that her family may be truly gone, forever after the run in with Carrion.

"Hello, my beloved Raven," a mellow voice called out from beside her. The movement of the figure up there was so slight that Raven missed it.

"Carrion," Raven called out even without turning, reining in all her misery in a split second. Unable to hold back the sentiment, Raven added, "I've missed you."

The male figure smiled in an eerily sweet manner, turning his head to catch the moonlight. The pale light lit features that were sculptured in one of God's most generous days, a slightly hooked nose that was flanked by perfectly almond eyes. Black hair framed around a handsome face with a stubborn chin.

"I've missed you too. Though I'd rather not have met you here at all." Carrion answered cordially. "We've become enemies, haven't we ?"

"Maybe. How did you find me?" Raven asked.

"I saw you up here as I was passing by. I wanted to go to the temple to find you but I saw you here instead."

"I hate being at odds at you, even if we think differently."

"Me too. I know that we are different. I want to change the world. You can't wait for it to leave you alone. I kept my promise not to seek out your hidden persona."

"I know you did, as I have kept mine not to dissect your present private life."

"Madame Butterfly must be furious, her best spy not listening to her."

"Maybe but she knows the reason why. We loved in each other in our own careless way." Raven smiled even more realizing the irony of the situation.

"So we did, because no one really understands us like we do each other. Though you still disapprove of what I am doing." Carrion added bluntly.

"Yes. I don't approve your use of the poison to control the people who work for you. To me, it's as good as killing them. I'd rather you kill them to if possible. They are disgraceful to fight against."

"I'm sorry. That'll change soon though, as the last workings of my plan fall into place."

"I know what you intend to do eventually. I just want you to know that power corrupts, don't change who you really are."

"So this is goodbye and enemies the next time," Carrion's eyes grew sad at the mention.

"So it is. Just remember, I love you as much as you love me." Raven leaned over and pecked Carrion on the lips. "All I want to see is you happily doing what makes you content."

Carrion pulled Raven into a tight embrace, kissing her temple tenderly. "Goodbye Raven. I'll never forget our little love." With one last parting glance, Carrion left his former lover, friend and once ally.

Raven let her eyes trail behind her first love. Though she no longer held a torch for him, first loves always held a special place in hearts, enough for it ache to know that she would have to fight him eventually.

Settling back into a leaning position, Raven sang a song to mark the end of their friendship.

_Goodbye my lover_

_Goodbye my friend_

_You have been the one for me_

_In the darkness of the night_

_We held together and_

_Walked onto the light_

_Goodbye my lover _

_Goodbye my friend_

_If this is the end_

_I will always treasure our times_

_Goodbye my lover_

_Goodbye my friend_

_Who thought this day would come_

_Where we battle each other_

_All I want is for you to remember _

_Remember us and how we used to be…_

"Goodbye Carrion. I loved you."

* * *

Pls R&R 


	21. Chapter 21

Hey all,

after a very long break, here's the next long chapter! Thank u for all the patience.

Enjoy!!

* * *

Raven was yawning as Madame Butterfly gave an impressive lecture on the reasons against meeting up with the leader of the enemy. Raven knew all of them by heart but, she would still meet up with Carrion anyway. They needed closure, an ending to their whirlwind romance that was left hanging as Raven made an abrupt exit from the pugilistic world.

"Are you even listening to me, my little bird?" Madame Butterfly huffed.

"Yes, Madame. But I'm not registering anything. You know me better than anyone else; I would not meet the enemy unless I have no choice. I had to meet him. That's my stand."

"You are still so stubborn."

"If I weren't, I'd be dead."

Madame Butterfly sighed loudly. "You could cooperate more often."

"I know better than that." Raven rebutted as she looked out of the stuffy room that Madame Butterfly had chosen to lock her up for the scolding.

"You need to concentrate more on Battousai. We don't want him to die out before the appointed day."

"You don't need me for that. There are over a hundred other people you could assign to this task."

"No one has your intimate knowledge of him." Madame Butterfly pointed out unerringly.

"You want to make my life miserable, fine." Raven huffed. "You should be more subtle than this though, aggressiveness doesn't really fit your image."

"I am sending him and Saitou to Carrion's weaponry base tonight."

Raven let out a lady like snort. "Like the Mibu Wolf is going to do as he's told. What are you? His mother?"

"I have explained that it is in our best interest it be destroyed tonight. It will be the best opportunity to test if Battousai still has the ability to fight at his old standard." Madame Butterfly continued as if Raven never interrupted.

"You used this chance to seduce Saitou," Raven noted, rather dryly.

"He is married, so that is highly improper. You would know, you helped me find the safe house to hide his wife and son."

"You want me to join them?" Raven asked bored.

"No, I want you to be the mole, as Kamiya Kaoru."

"You have no heart."

* * *

"Saitou, why did we come here alone without any backup?" Kenshin asked calmly as they stood hidden in woods, eyeing their quarry.

The two men stood far enough to prevent their personal spaces from overlapping, yet close enough for conversing. While they were not always enemies, the tension did not reduce as the stillness of the night threatened to rub nerves raw.

"We need to get these weapons out of the enemies' hands, destroyed is much better than having stores of weapons in the police headquarters like sitting ducks." Saitou commented nonchalantly. His hand subconsciously fingered his hilt as the thrill of the kill all but hummed through his blood.

"There is something else that I should know isn't there?"

"You are too naïve to know so much. Just stick to the plan. We need to destroy this base so that the police can just clean it up tomorrow as a case of arson."

"What of the people inside?"

"The balancers will clean up if necessary. They are much better at catching strays than we are; an added benefit of the dark." Saitou was curt as the guard on duty was slowing dozing off. "Stop questioning and get to work."

The night grew quieter still as the two men ran towards the warehouse carefully camouflaged as a part of the hill. Their feet did not as much as rustle the grass as Saitou swiftly slit the throat of the guard. Kenshin sliced through the locks, wincing only momentarily when the blood splatter on the ground created ripples in his composure.

The painted wooden door creaked open like a worn out squeaker. In the darkness beyond, the men easily picked out the shape of ten ninja that were lying in wait. Battle experience was never more valuable than in situations like this.

Using the knowledge that the ninja had not noticed they were spotted, the duo advanced.

The ninja realized their mistake quickly and at the expense of half their numbers. Now they were circling the duo warily, weapons brandished but grips clammy.

"You should stop playing and show us what you've got," Saitou declared arrogantly. "I dislike having my time wasted uselessly."

The ninja stiffened in what could be distinguished as outrage. Like a pack of jackals, they lunged together all blades with no planning. Their fury had served to increase their strength and in their rage, they still held perfect coordination.

"You should have just kept your mouth shut," Kenshin said irritated as he dodged a swipe that looped the tip of his ponytail off. The ninja were better than he had anticipated, perfectly in their element in the rather cramped chamber.

"You needed a hair cut anyway," Saitou pointed out as he side stepped a kunai aimed at his throat. He was silently congratulating himself on accepting Madame Butterfly's suggestion. The ninja were a disappointment at first but now he was really working up a sweat. There was nothing more satisfying than an invigorating fight.

The ninja were even more incensed as they watched Kenshin and Saitou converse like they were on a leisurely stroll.

One of them spoke up, "Our assignment was to capture Kamiya Kaoru, not deal with you. But as a form of entertainment, we will kill. Watching the life drain out of your eyes shall be the best moment of our lives."

"Kaoru?" Kenshin jerked visibly at the mention of her name. "What did you just say?"

He only got the answer as he slammed the last of the battered ninja to a wall, sword to his throat.

"We were supposed to catch the Kamiya girl. She has been giving us the slip for the past month. Boss ain't happy about that, considering we don't even know what she looks like to start."

The poor man grinned despite his split lip. "You know her, don't you? I pity you then. There ain't going to be much left of her when we get our hands on her. For all she is, she's just a pathetic human girl. She doesn't stand a chance."

Kenshin lost his control long enough to slash the man from collar bone diagonally across to his abdomen. The blood that gushed out were a crimson promise that the man would die agonizingly, feeling his entire body lose feeling bit by bit if he was not attended soon.

"Why do you want her?" Kenshin demanded to know. The knuckles on his sword were white and his eyes flickered ominously with gold.

"I don't know. Maybe because she's yours," the man smiled mockingly among the pool of his own blood. A backhand knocked all his defiance out.

"We need to move on," Saitou hurried, silently pleased at the turn of events. The night was becoming more interesting.

The duo progressed through the maze of rooms holding everything from hand guns to cannons. The sheer arsenal was grimly impressive, the cabin was obviously larger than one would perceive.

"They have enough to level the whole of Kyoto and Tokyo combined." Kenshin muttered silently under his breath. They had only run into a handful of guards but the emptiness was not to be taken lightly.

"No wonder Madame Butterfly was concerned. If they have this warehouse, there is no telling what else they could have already hidden. No one is stupid enough to put all their eggs in one big basket." Saitou commented.

The observation was forbidding.

Kenshin took note of the arsenal list from what he assumed was an inventory of the room's contents. Saitou memorized the layout of the area, placing explosives in strategic locations so that the place would be leveled come sunrise. They worked together swiftly, knowing better than to tarry on enemy ground.

A faint smell of something burning caught their attention. There was a gradual rumbling of stones echoing through the corridor warned them before a pair of small hands grabbed them into running.

"Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin gasped in shocked as he and Saitou were pulled ungracefully down a series of winding corridors, away from the sound of explosions that rocked the warehouse.

"Someone is setting my explosives on fire," Saitou growled angrily, really incensed by the idea of his own plan backfiring.

Kaoru only nodded as she led them to a dead end. Kaoru had carefully separated her two identities in her mind, both Raven and Kaoru. As Kaoru, she looked different thanks to heavy layers of make-up, more down and tomboyish with very mediocre fighting skills. Raven was elegant in a deadly way, slicing all those who oppose her.

Fiddling with a well hidden switch, she opened up a door in the wall and hustled Kenshin and Saitou in. The explosions wracked the warehouse, causing the floor to rumble as Kaoru hurried them along into the darkness beyond the door. The wooden structure started to burn and Kaoru was struggling not to wince as she stamped out the fire that had latched itself onto her shoes.

Once they were through, Kaoru expertly locked the door again and lit a torch for the benefit of the duo.

The small fire cast enough light for Kenshin and Saitou to make out that they were in a tunnel, relatively large enough for three people to run side by side.

Satisfied that they would cooperate, Kaoru ran off with the torch, forcing them to follow her lead. Despite her reluctance of showing off any of her skills, Kaoru ran at a breakneck pace, easily maintaining her lead of the two men.

"Kaoru-dono, why are you here?" Kenshin asked persistently as they ran behind her with no idea where they were heading.

Kaoru smiled bitterly as she continued on, wordless. She could not have spoken even if her life depended on it.

After many twists and turns as well as what the duo assumed to be a path further down into the earth, they finally reached a well covered exit. The moonlight pierced through the minute holes in the leaf door, indicating that it was not just another tunnel.

Kaoru carefully doused the torch and the torch disappeared in a nook in the wall. Creeping cautiously, Kaoru peered up out of the leafy cover to inspect the area outside. Satisfied that the coast was clear, she directed them to leave the tunnels and head out into the woods.

Turning back, the entrance of the tunnel had already been well-hidden by Kaoru that the pair could not make out the door anymore. The trio was essentially just standing at the foot of the hill, in the woods.

"Nice work," Saitou smirked as Kaoru looked at them blankly. "You came with the Balancers?"

Kaoru drew out a piece of paper from the hidden pocket in her sleeve, a benefit of black ninja clothing.

_I am here to get you two back to the Aoiya. _

"Are you with the Balancers?" Kenshin asked his expression unreadable as he hid his eyes under his bangs.

Kaoru nodded and produced another piece of paper.

_I am what the Balancers call a mole. We are responsible for guiding people where needed. I cannot speak at the moment because we all take a poison when we go on a mission. It robs us of our speech. _

"This is cruel way of ensuring loyalty," Kenshin hissed, eyes flaring. He came to the conclusion easily.

"But effective." Saitou nodded.

Kaoru only shrugged as she pointed to a general northern direction.

"We need to move on?" Saitou guessed accurately.

Kaoru nodded again and started running. They made good time running and keeping low. The moon was the only light in an otherwise pitch black forest but Kaoru navigated through them easily.

She only stopped by a small stream when a rickety raft was tied. Using the trees as cover for them, Kaoru surveyed the surroundings as warning bells rang in her head.

"We have company." Kenshin whispered, blending expertly into the shadows.

"Friends?" Saitou questioned, cocking his head towards her.

Kaoru shook her head. Only one mole was assigned to guide people, never more. Biting her lower lip, she considered her options. She only had until dawn to get back and the longer route asked too much.

Kaoru signaled for them to move forward. There was no better option.

The trio moved out into the open.

When they were nearing the raft, the first sign of trouble erupted behind them. Numerous masked men jumped out of the woods, throwing kunai and shuriken. Dodging them, Kaoru quickly readied the raft as Kenshin and Saitou fended the attackers off.

"Get the girl." One of them yelled as a new pack of them descended. Kaoru's lips thinned into a line. She was the real target.

Using a whip she had the foresight to bring, she kept the men at a distance. Kaoru was quickly calculating her chances, her feet were burnt and bleeding from the run and the distraction was effectively leaving her a lone ranger. Not great motivation.

Whistling to get Kenshin and Saitou's attention, Kaoru quickly launched the raft right to the middle of the stream. Kenshin and Saitou obviously had no problem zipping through the crowd to hop on the raft, those who followed were promptly smashed on the head into the river.

Kaoru used the strong current of the stream to leave the pursuers far behind.

All this while, Kenshin was boring holes into her with his eyes. Kaoru ignored his gaze and concentrated on her task. Her vision was becoming hazy, all in all a good reason to get back now. Kenshin was had slight cuts from some lucky shots while Saitou was marginally better. Wounds that irritated and had not damaged, for which Kaoru was relieved.

The time seemed to drag on until Kaoru anchored the raft to a pole much further downstream. The two men hopped off the raft gracefully as they tried to orient themselves in the forest. Kaoru stood at the raft, hesitant. Her feet were bleeding, leaving enough breadcrumbs for any three-year old to follow.

Kenshin noticed her dilemma and offered, "I could carry you."

Kaoru's head snapped up. She was not expecting him to take the fact that she was being used as a mole well.

"Do it. We need to get back soon, don't we?" Saitou snapped.

Kaoru nodded and almost cried when Kenshin swept her up in his arms. It was so warm.

Gathering herself, Kaoru pointed out the direction. Kenshin and Saitou ran quickly and silently through the forest as Kaoru clung to Kenshin's gi and occasionally adjusted the direction a little.

They almost reached the outskirts of Aoiya when Kaoru felt a sharp stabbing pain in her heart.

_What's happening?_ Kaoru thought, bewildered. Her hand clutched her chest involuntarily as the pain came in waves. _This is not supposed to happen_.

"Kaoru, are you alright?" Kenshin asked his voice rumbling in his chest.

Kaoru could not answer as the pain grew sharper and her eyes started to sting. Frantically searching her mind for any clue, she started to panic. There was a strange faint smell when she entered the cabin to find Kenshin and Saitou. It was familiar in an unwanted way, almost like someone already knew a mole would be sent. Kaoru's eyes widened in horror.

Someone had used the Balancers practice of poisoning their moles to poison her further.

_Carrion would know how to, _Kaoru thought vindictively as the pain increased.

"We'll be there soon," Kenshin assured her or maybe himself as Kaoru started to curl in a protective ball in his arms.

By the time they reached the backdoor of Aoiya, Kaoru's eyes were dyed a bloody red. Tears of blood streamed down her pale cheeks as she fought to stay still in Kenshin's arms.

"Hey Kenshin, you're late." Sano cried out as he waved his hands. Beside him were Aoshi, Misao and surprisingly Megumi whom the Balancers had kidnapped, with medical supplies in hand. They were informed by Blade who was looking on that Kenshin and Saitou should be returning.

Thankfully, the poor lighting kept them from recognizing her until Kenshin and Saitou were approaching.

"Hey Ken-… Kaoru, is that you?" Sano gaped as he saw Kaoru crying bloody tears in Kenshin's arms. Megumi and Misao's jaws dropped while Aoshi's eyes only widened faintly.

Breathing heavily, Kaoru tried to reach out to Blade who had descended from her lookout position. Her flailing hand was caught in Blade's calloused ones as Blade inquired, "What the heck happened to you?"

Kaoru ignored the pain coursing through her and painstakingly signaled a few hand signals.

Blade's face grew grave as she interpreted the signals. "I'll go get my antidotes, you hang in there. Do not fall asleep!" Blade instructed as she ran off. The main reason Blade was assigned to the Aoiya is that she was a poison expert thus able to keep an eye out for underhanded tactics that could be employed by the enemy.

The force which Blade pulled Kaoru as she left caused Kaoru to fall out of Kenshin's arms and fall hard onto the floor.

"Kaoru!" Kenshin called out as he gathered her in his arms. Kaoru was too busy trying not to pass out to give a reply. Stars were doing the waltz in her eyes as Megumi took charge of the situation.

"Get her inside the house. Boil water. I need clean linen," Megumi ordered as everybody in the yard scrambled to help, except Saitou who only took a long drag of his cigarette.

* * *

Hope you all like this chapter.

Pls R&R!

many thanks to ginny for beta.


	22. Chapter 22

* * *

hey everyone

Thanks for the reviews. thanks to ginny for beta

& EVERYONE enjoy this next chappy

* * *

Kaoru stretched languidly in her futon as she heard the bright chirping of birds. The room smelt of polished wood and freshwater, making Kaoru smile with satisfaction.

_Looks like Yahiko finished his chores already, _Kaoru thought as she tried to rub her eyes.

The coarse bandage she touched had reality crashing down like a ton of bricks.

Bolting up, Kaoru felt a pair of small hands slowly but firmly push her down.

"Relax, you are alright now. Kaoru, you are safe now." A pert voice laced with worry sounded by her right ear. "I'm going to get Megumi."

Kaoru vaguely acknowledged the voice as Yahiko as she tried to look at her hands. _What is Yahiko doing here? Aren't I at the Sakura Teahouse?_

Kaoru patted her surroundings as she slowly sat up, a little disorientated. She could feel the blanket that covered her only because her hands told her so. It was not a terrible feeling but not one she wanted to indulge.

Footsteps pounded on the wooden floor as she felt a breeze of air replaced by a warm breath on her right.

"Good that you are awake," Megumi's voice came as disembodied one through the darkness. "I need you to stay calm. Your eyes are going to need some time to recover so you'll be blind temporarily."

Kaoru turned her head in what she assumed was Megumi's direction and nodded. Reaching out for someone's hand, she traced out the word "Blade" on the palm.

"Blade is here," another voice echoed out of space. "You are damn lucky, Kamiya. Of all the moles that were sent out that day, you are the only one still alive. Though you are blind, again. This is the third, fourth time you are blind?"

Kaoru indicated 5 fingers. No point in lying about such insignificant facts.

"Fifth? So you must be quite used to it. Hazards of the job." Blade chuckled. Even without looking, Kaoru knew that Blade was shaking her head with her braid swishing with a bemused expression.

Kaoru smiled slightly, trying to decide where Blade was standing. She made a series of hand signals in the general direction, knowing full well Blade would understand them perfectly.

"You have been asleep for 2 days. Now is the morning of the third day. You have no sense of time now so don't worry too much about that. You will regain your speech and sight hopefully by the end of this year," Blade answered. Her voice was as mischievous as ever.

Kaoru signaled a horrified _YEAR!? _She was expecting something more along the lines as week.

"Yes, year." Blade immediately dashed all of Kaoru's hopes mercilessly. "We don't know what Carrion did, since it only affected the moles who, I might add are dropping like flies. You are really lucky to be alive, don't be too picky about being blind and mute. Now, I need your report so that we can try to save the others."

Kaoru bit her lips and she tried her best to recount the events. Sign language had vast limitations in this area.

"Let me get this straight. All you noticed was a funny smell and that's all." Blade cried out indignantly. "You should know better than that."

Kaoru huffed and signaled a particularly rude comment.

"Fine. Fine. I trust you. It's not my fault that guy like poisons." Blade backed off. "I'll tell Madame. You stay here. You may be awake, but you are not out of danger yet. Remember, you are a calm lake."

That comment had Kaoru grabbing her pillow and tossing it the direction. The yelp and quick pattering of feet indicated she had missed her target. How unfortunate.

"Kaoru. I want you to cooperate. You need rest." Megumi chided as she caught Kaoru easily.

Kaoru grasped one of Megumi's hands and wrote who is here?

"I'm here in this room with Sano, Kenshin, Misao and Yahiko. The rest are crowded outside the room." Megumi anwered.

Kaoru asked again, Where am I?

"You are at the Aoiya."

Kaoru bit in her lip in worry, she was reasonably sure that Madame Butterfly left her here for a reason. Not one that she would approve.

"Kaoru, I need you to rest. You finally woke up after 2 days, we don't want you to have a relapse," Megumi urged.

What happened? Kaoru traced again.

"Nothing you need to worry about. Just rest." Megumi answered curtly as hands guided her firmly to lie down.

Kaoru was rather unsatisfied with the answer but blind was blind. There was no way to read anyone's face. Instead, she tried to make motions to indicate that she was thirsty.

"She wants something to drink," Yahiko said and a warm cup was placed in her hands. Who placed it there was a mystery but Kaoru accepted in none the less.

Kaoru placed her pinky finger into the cup to test the temperature; her experience had taught her how to avoid scalding her tongue. Blowing until she was sure she could not scald herself, Kaoru sipped the warm tea gratefully as it eased her parched throat.

"This has happened many times before," another voice Kaoru assumed to be Misao questioned. Kaoru only nodded and continued to sip.

"Is there anything you need?"

Kaoru indicated a long stick to the best of her ability. It's not like they knew sign language. It turned out to be dismal as they soon tried assorted non-answers.

"Rolls."

"Sushi."

"Long."

"Round."

Kaoru wanted to bang her head on the floor in despair. Waving her hands in defeat, Kaoru lied down.

"Sorry about that. We don't understand." Misao bubbled. "But I'll get Blade to teach us when she comes back."

Kaoru shot up and shook her head furiously.

"Why don't you want her to let us read your hand signals," a deep voice demanded to know. Kenshin was still angrily, that much was obvious.

_Because she'll probably teach you all the wrong signals for fun, _Kaoru wanted to scream out but with no avail. Kaoru caught the first hand she could catch and hurriedly traced, she enjoys pranks.

"She enjoys pranks?" Misao read. "I can totally understand that."

"She would teach us all the wrong things. That woman is unbelievable." Megumi commented. "But still, you can't keep scribbling on our hands. Don't worry, we'll work something out. You need to rest."

Kaoru wanted to protest but Megumi shushed her effectively.

* * *

"We can't keep it from her indefinitely. Kaoru already sensed that we are hiding something," Megumi reasoned with Kenshin. They were all crowded in a room, staring at the table with conflicting emotions. Tinges of betrayal, guilt, bewilderment and sadness were doing rounds about the room.

"Kaoru was incoherent when that happened." Kenshin reminded her firmly. "It should not be a problem."

"She doesn't need to know," Yahiko supplied, his brown eyes shimmering with determination.

"She is going to find out anyway." Megumi pointed out.

"Later is much better than sooner." Misao answered for everyone.

"We will tell her if she exchanges secrets of her involvement with the Balancers to us," Kenshin drew the ultimatum. "It'll be a fair exchange."

"But Kenshin, she kept it form us for so long, why would she tell us now?" Yahiko piped.

"Would anyone want to tell her what happened?" Kenshin asked, his eyes flickering with amber flecks.

The whole room was silenced.

* * *

PLEASE R&R

Reviews make me very happy and give inspiration for this story.

Thank you!


	23. Chapter 23

HI all,

here's the next chapter u've been waiting for.

Thanks for all the great reviews. I will try to reply them somehow. fingers crossed

now pls cont'd to read. XD

BEWARE of angst.

* * *

Pattering softly around the kitchen, Kaoru tried to find the elusive stove and pot. It had taken her a little over an hour to locate the kitchen in the darkness shrouding her eyes. The only thing that stopped everyone from helping her was probably best answered by the resounding yawns coming from the various bedrooms.

She had woken up alone, which she was very grateful for. She was not overly sad about losing her sight but being at the Aoiya surrounded by everyone she had come to love in this state was in short, heart-wrenching.

Fingering what she assumed was a pot; Kaoru carefully placed it in the stove she had chanced upon. Patting down everything to ensure it was alright, Kaoru went bustling around the kitchen, using the walls as a guide to locate some leftover rice and vegetables she could not identify.

Stubbing her toes repeatedly, Kaoru managed to light the fire to cook a meal of fried rice. Starting the fire had been particularly disconcerting and Kaoru hoped she wiped off most of the ashes that had blown back into her face.

Using a ladle instead of troubling to find another spoon, Kaoru ate from the cooking pot. It was still slightly cold but Kaoru was sure that by the time she actually finished eating, the food would be downright charred. _This must be retribution for sleeping through dinner, _Kaoru thought a bit annoyed.

Outside the kitchen, Kenshin stood at the doorway and looked on at Kaoru's attempts for a meal. There had been times like this back in Tokyo where he would hear her wake up in the middle of the night to search for a late night snack. She would creep around the kitchen looking for leftovers from dinner, stick out her tongue when there was none and decide to eat some cookies instead. He had caught her in the act once or twice to see the embarrassed blush that glowed despite the dark.

Those sweet memories made the sight of Kaoru slaving over a stove she could not see painful. He was standing in plain sight of the stove, knowing full well that Kaoru could not see him. Her left hand was carefully gripping the handle of the pot as she used her right hand to eat, careful to keep it away from the rim of the pot to avoid being burnt.

There was so much he wanted to say, so many things he wanted to ask. Yet all the words choked in his throat and nailed his feet to the spot.

Kaoru had already sensed Kenshin's presence for a while now but she refrained from showing signs. They were locked in a stalemate and Kaoru did not want to be the person who broke it lest the bond they shared was so fragile that it shattered.

So they stood in complete silence as Kaoru ate her failed cooking attempt and left the pot on the stove. Someone would clear it up in the morning; Kaoru was not risking more broken toes for that. The pads of her feet were healing but still a little tender due to the new skin.

Feeling her way out of the kitchen, Kaoru walked barefoot on the soft grass of the backyard. It was a welcome relief from the hard floorboards. Kenshin was still watching her from the back but Kaoru was satisfied to just stand there are breathe the cool night air.

She had been blind many times before. It was punishment for retrieving the people too late. The poison the moles took gradually destroyed one's sight and hearing after the appointed time. It made it impossible to extract information from the moles after they were caught. It kept their loyalty and the secrets of the Balancers.

It usually wore off a few days after the mission, leaving Kaoru and the other moles grappling in the dark.

Kaoru was half praying that Kenshin had assumed that her involvement with the Balancers was really small. Her identity as Raven was a closely guarded secret even among the Balancers, anyone who willingly disclosed it would be executed, even herself; as she knew too much for her to even consider leaving completely. It kept her alive but also prevented her from ever being free.

"Kaoru," Kenshin called out to her, breaking through her thoughts.

Kaoru whirled around to face him, trying to pin the direction where his voice came from.

Imagine the shock she got when Kenshin wrapped his arms around her, crushing her in a massive hug.

"What should I do now?" Kenshin asked. "What are you, Kaoru? You are the master of the Kamiya dojo, you are a mole of the Balancers. Were you sent to spy on me? To make me fall for you and milk me for secrets? Or did you really care about me?" Kenshin pulled away far enough to stare at Kaoru's bandaged eyes. "I can't take this anymore. What are you?"

Kaoru really felt like crying. He was beginning to doubt her; like she had feared the day she was called back. There were so many things she wanted to tell him, so many things that weighed heavily upon her heart to have hid from him, but she could not.

Slowly bringing her fingers to trace Kenshin's scar, Kaoru cupped Kenshin's face in her small calloused hands. Smiling sadly, she realized why Madame Butterfly had allowed her to stay here. It was time for the last goodbye to Kamiya Kaoru for all the lies she was built on were eroding away. Even if they never found out who Kaoru really was, she could never go back. Her family knew she was lying and for all she had done, she could never defend herself without revealing any secrets she was sworn to keep. After all, Kamiya Kaoru is just another alias that she had assumed to keep low until the Balancers found her another mission. It was never the end of her life as an assassin, just another outlet for the child who grew up too early. She had lost herself in a lie and believed that she could have a happy ever after.

"Kenshin," Kaoru forced the words out from an unused throat that was too choked full of emotion. "I work for the Balancers and my job was to keep an eye out for you. They wanted to know where you always were. I'm sorry." This half truth was enough to break Kenshin's heart and Kaoru knew it.

Kenshin pushed her away, onto the cold hard ground. "I've been played. I thought you really cared for me." The dark hid his face but Kenshin's pain was echoed in all his words. "I really cared for you, Kaoru, if that is your real name. In the past few days, you were crying out in pain from poisons running through you. I held you down; I let you bite my arm to take the edge off the pain. Looks like I was just playing a fool."

Kaoru only got up, brushing her kimono absently. Her voice was just an ear grating rumble but she persisted. "I will not be going back. Help me tell Yahiko to take over." Swallowing her grief, Kaoru bluttered out, "there was really a girl called Kamiya Kaoru. She had a brilliant smile. Maybe that's why she never walked out of the mines."

"Then who are you?" Kenshin was only interested in that answer.

"I am the one who buried her body in the dojo. For her sake, I kept her father's memories alive. I am…" Kaoru mustered her courage.

"Enough!" Madame Butterfly stormed in with Aoshi hot on her heels. She had cursed herself for the oversight of leaving Raven at the Aoiya. Raven was already soft from years of hiding; staying longer in the emotional crowd would ruin her completely. The almost confession she heard from Kaoru was just solid proof she was right. She was praising all the gods for Blade who reminded her that Raven was already awake and still in the Aoiya. "We are leaving this minute. I will not have my moles anywhere else but with me."

"I am the one who people forgot." With that Raven walked out on her life as Kamiya Kaoru, killing her on the spot.

"If you loved Kamiya Kaoru, thank you." The afterthought was soft and muttered under her breath as Raven was dragged off by the arm out the doors in haste. "It was more than she ever could get."

Kenshin wondered if he had heard it right as the darkness engulfed her and erased her from his life.

* * *

"What were you thinking?" Madame Butterfly shouted as Raven stood in the corner for her reprimand. "You know better than anyone, revealing your involvement with the Balancers without my permission is a death sentence. You are hoping I kill you off?"

"You already have," Raven was back in full control. "Kamiya Kaoru will disappear from this world."

"No, she will not. She will go back at the end of this and resume her duties to keep an eye on Tokyo and not Battousai like you stupidly said. What did you think you could accomplish by tell Battousai that?" Madame Butterfly screeched.

"Everything. It'll cut off all the excuses you'll use on me to go back. I have said my fair share of lies and enough is enough. I can't take this anymore."

"Then what will you do when this is over? I taught all of you to be productive at all times. Your training a part of you even if Kaoru is not."

"I will die then. You never had the faintest intention to send any of us back, didn't you? Everyone who came back has family but you pulled mothers from their newborns and lovers from their fiancées. You already knew all our fates when you called us back. You called us all here to die. I'm not naïve, Madame. I know the reports that you have kept from the rest, deliberately separating the reports so people will not make the connection. That Carrion will bring us down with him as he torches our hideouts and bases.

Here's something you don't know. We have made that connection and everyone now is writing their wills and sending presents that they will never get to give. We are not stupid Madame. We have followed you through hell and back. We know that if you called the whole force together, it is for the end."

"How do you know this is the end?"

"Because you love our country more than us. If our lives could redeem this country, you would have forsaken us in a heartbeat." Raven answered as she tore the bandage from her eyes. "Give me the antidote you wanted to test. I have a performance tomorrow. If I don't regain my sight today, I will never be able to prepare on time. My instruments need restringing."

"I'm sorry," Madame Butterfly said as she handed the bottle over.

"No you are not, Madame. Don't give us false hope that you are. After all, we are all the slaves you got from the slavers, did you not? To you, our lives mean no more than the paper you use to write your notes."

hope i didn't drown you in too much angst to review


	24. Chapter 24

hey all,

i recently got a visit from my muse so here's the next chapter extra long and extra early.

Thanks for all the great reviews everyone. this is for your support. they really made my day!!

are for FYIs at the bottom

* * *

Raven slowly tuned her shamisen as she prepared for her midnight performance. While she was not yet geisha, her entertainment skills still allowed her to enjoy the popularity of a high ranking geisha. Many men have offered to become her danna, offering precious gifts which were confiscated by Madame Butterfly to fund the Balancers. This pleased Madame to no end though Raven could not be bothered. No amount of money would free her from Madame Butterfly, it only served to strengthen her cage.

Satisfied that her instrument was in tune, Raven placed it carefully on the table. She was not dancing because the pads of her feet were healing but she added an extra layer of bandages just in case the wounds opened. The antidote had caused her almost unbearable agony but she could see and move normally, that was all that mattered. What was left to do was to keep off her feet as much as possible to regain full form.

A light knock sounded as her colleague the Yin sister walked in.

"You should be heading down soon," the lady whispered in a melodious voice. "The audience is earlier than expected."

"In good time. I have to touch up my make-up. Have you informed Nightingale? She is dancing tonight." Raven answered as she redrew her eyebrow.

"Yes, she gathering her umbrella before she goes to the stage. Will you be fit enough for the performance?" Yin sister asked, concerned. "You are still recovering."

"I'll be fine. I have done far more dangerous tasks in worse shape." Raven commented airily. Turning to look at the expression on Yin sister's face, Raven crooked a smile. "I see you found your heart when we were hiding too."

Yin sister stumbled back a few steps as she regained her composure. Her surprise flashed through her eyes for a nanosecond but it was there.

"Don't worry, I'm not faulting you." Raven continued. "Will they miss you?"

Yin sister's eyes misted over. "No. I told them I hated them."

Both women shared a glance that answered more questions than either could have asked.

"I'll be down soon." Raven picked up her shamisen in one hand and a stack of papers in the other. "Could you do me a favor? Send these papers to the Aoiya."

"I will." The answering smile spoke volumes of understanding. "You don't intend to go back."

Raven smiled in her ethereal makeup, "there is only one road I walk, that is straight ahead."

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­The Sakura teahouse was filled to the brim. All the tables were cleared except a row for unbelievably rich to sit. Every single floorboard was covered by slippers of those who could not afford the exclusive seats. The wide shoji were open to allow more people to watch the performance, even if in their view the entertainers were only slightly bigger than coloured ants.

Raven nodded at her coworker as she gently plucked her shamisen. A haunting tune filled the room as Nightingale dressed in a regal green stood out from the wooden platform floated on the stage. The two women accentuated each other, Raven in a soft blue like the white waves of a waterfall and Nightingale like the tall proud bamboo who swayed but never bowed to the wind. The audience was transported to the calm collected bamboo grove surrounded by the clear spring water; tranquil yet filled their veins with life.

No one spoke. Hardly anyone breathed, almost afraid to shatter the fantasy.

When Nightingale used her umbrella to shield Raven from an imaginary rain, a sigh echoed.

The show drew to a close as Raven played her instrument softer and softer until the sound was just a ripple in the imagination.

The applause was delayed but resounding nonetheless. Madame Butterfly was smirking in her office as the Sakura teahouse trembled in its wake.

Nightingale followed Raven to her personal quarters as they basked in the fading joy of a job well done.

"You dance much better than you did before," Raven praised, calmly serving tea to both of them. "It's almost as if someone breathed life into you."

"So do you." Nightingale observed, sipping her cup of jasmine tea delicately. "Your music was beautiful then, but now it calls out to my soul."

"Let's say, we all changed. Living a few years away from this prison has allowed us to see what people are really like."

"I can't argue with that," Nightingale answered, her lips in a small smirk. "Life is different now, but let us not talk about such things. We need to discuss tomorrow's work."

"Indeed. We need an assassin and a mole. I see why we need to bring Aoshi to the site, his expertise in the area would help but bringing both Saitou and Battousai may complicate matters. We could potentially lose three very valuable fighters." Raven continued all business.

"We need to bring all three there because it houses all possible weaponry. Know thyself; know thine enemy and you hold the key to victory."

"True but can't pictures or descriptions do? We are destroying the place anyway, not to mention killing people while we're at it."

"You and I agree on that point, but the weapons are new. If Carrion has more stock somewhere, they need to see what they may be charging into."

"I understand but I still think this is a stupid idea. I am not hundred percent and if the last mission was anything to go by, there will be traps aplenty."

"There is a risk. These three may be great but we need to ensure they can stay in best form until Carrion decides to fight. We can't beat him, not with all the opium and drugged zombies around him. Excellent fighters are still dead fighters if they don't have the stamina to keep up with people who simply die normally."

"Should we split up? There are two locations after all. We could always meet to collate midway, I'm sure they have enough sense to share their opinions which should be pinpoint accurate." Raven suggested.

"That would be good. Kamiya should be the mole. Your alias is useful so that they think we are still keeping you as a trump card. You two are not alike." Nightingale added bluntly.

Raven smiled congenitally at the unintended thorn. "I agree on that. I am also one of the moles upgraded to rabbit. I can request not to take the poison so that I can speak. Communication is not too much of a problem then, Madame knows I will not spill. Not much anyway."

"I'll take Saitou, since I'm killing them and all. Battousai might get in the way and Aoshi is more for the weapons." Nightingale decided.

"I'm better at explosives as Kamiya so yes. I'll bring my moon blade along. That should be enough cover for any trouble. I'll pick you and Saitou up by carriage. The caves should remain out of Aoshi's knowledge. Who knows what he'll do when he actually knows where an entrance is." Raven accepted the decision though she could hear her battered heart cry out for another patching up.

* * *

The night air was stale as 'Karou' now and Nightingale walked through the back gate of the Aoiya. The silence was ominous as the cloud that hung over the people assembled in the courtyard.

Everyone was there in a semi circle that almost looked like a judging panel. Kaoru schooled her face to perfect blankness even though her make-up was already more than necessary. She looked like her usual plain tomboyish self, just the way Nightingale had assumed the Balancer's cold assassin aura. Both were dressed simply in black ninja attire for ease of movement.

"We are here to bring you along as promised. You wanted to know what we have been up to so we are showing you." Blade explained. "Who will be taking who?"

Nightingale answered, "I'll taking Saitou to the east end of the city. Kamiya here will take Aoshi and Battousai to the lower east end to see something."

"I'm coming along too." Sano butted in, his voice brooked no argument. He stood half hidden in the shadow with a scowl that screamed anger.

Kaoru looked at Nightingale and shrugged. "Me, I can travel in a large group," she said fingering the long crescent moon-like blade that hung on her shoulders.

"So you can talk now?" Saitou asked condescendingly.

"She's a higher rank mole. We call them Jade rabbits. They will never betray us." Blade answered for her. "Will you now?" Blade hopped on to Kaoru's shoulders in a half hug.

"Shut up, Blade. You are asking stupid questions." Kaoru rebutted dryly.

"When will you bring them back?" Yahiko asked. He gripped his bokken with clammy hands, unsure of what was best.

"Dawn at the latest." Nightingale looked at Kaoru for confirmation. Kaoru wriggled her nose in a familiar gesture. "If we hurry, yes. I don't run on hyper speed."

"Walk faster then." Nightingale suggested as she turned away. "You can ride?" she asked Saitou.

"Naturally." Saitou answered, flicking lint off his shirt. The duo walked off first into the dark alley.

"Don't die on me, Nightingale. I don't collect dead people." Kaoru called out after them.

"Che. I can't understand a word you said." The obnoxious reply echoed back.

Kaoru smirked as she cocked her head in the other direction. "We actually got a ride so it's this way."

She led the silent men into a carriage hidden in a nearby alley. Carriage was nice way of describing the battered looking cart that had a cloth roof and seats made for sitting. Kaoru sat in the steering seat as the others crowded in the cabin.

"We're going to a weapons warehouse. Those boxes under you are explosives so don't light anything," Kaoru elaborated on the plan. She had covered herself and hid her face with a tattered raincoat and hat as she navigated the dark streets. Her moon blade was sitting behind the entrance within reach. "The rest of the gun powder are already located near the store, we just need to make some adjustments."

"Why are you on their side?" Sano blurted out, unable to hold the silence.

Kaoru only answered, "I have always been on this side. You just never saw it."

"I never caught a whiff of it," Aoshi stated. This fact irked him most.

"I'm the best there is. If you had found me without meaning to look, I'll be six feet under already."

"That doesn't explain a lot." Sano argued.

"There is nothing to explain. I'd appreciate it if you kept your voices down. We may not be there yet but the streets hide ears." Kaoru said loudly enough for only them to hear. "The lower east end as you know is shadier than most. Our destination is actually located at the storehouse of a brothel.

The building is bigger than most as the girls are kept there when they first arrive in shipments until they are moved further out. It is the size of the Aoiya, made to look smaller by some false bath houses that nobody uses. It has two levels that we know of. The weapons are below the ground in a hidden basement.

There may be girls who have been sold to the brothel on the ground level but I rather you not rescue them."

"Why?" Kenshin broke from his stoic silence.

"They are not of our concern. I'm blowing up the basement."

"Killing the girls as we go about it? That's cold even for you, Kaoru." Sano said.

"We'll let them out before I blow it up. We need a distraction anyway. You don't have to call me Kaoru. It is not my name."

"Then what is?" Aoshi asked, his curiosity piqued.

"I am slave number 28. Didn't you already know that since you found the slavers?" Kaoru asked amused.

"That's not a name. That's how the slavers kept track of the numbers they had."

"It is the first and only name I know. For your information, everyone in the Balancers is a number. If you randomly call out a number from one to a hundred, someone may reply to you. If they aren't dead yet anyway."

"You must have had a name." Sano soldiered on.

"Slave number 28, Sano. Though I must admit Kaoru is much shorter. Easier to call in short notice."

"Your parents never gave you one?" Sano persisted.

"I have no parents. Neither does anyone in the Balancers. You'll piss them off when you ask, so watch your tongue Sano. We have no families, no past prior to the Balancers and NO names. Our life starts and ends with the Balancers. Those who have parents," Kaoru added before Sano could speak, "are all dead. Those who have names and memories not related to the Balancers are dead."

"How the hell did that happen?"

"Madame Butterfly happened. You don't need to know the details. Shush now, we're in the lower east."

Sano bit his lip to keep from asking. Dense as he was, he knew better than to draw attention to them.

Kaoru urged the carriage into a small dilapidated shop. Someone was waiting there with grubby paws stretched for money. The stench was overwhelming but did keep the smell of gun powder relatively unnoticed.

Kaoru dismounted and pressed a coin into the paw-like hand.

The person shivered in what could be discerned as inhuman joy as it hissed, "your stuff is all here. No one touched anything." The rat-like quality of the voice sent shivers down spines.

"Show us how to get in and I'll double your reward." Kaoru continued unaffected by his behavior.

"Jade Rabbit of Balancers. Rat will do that but triple the reward. There is no more money to be made here." The rat person bargained.

"I'm not allowed to deal with you. You know the rules. You can ask Raven for more." Kaoru returned as she carried the gun powder out and guided the trio to see the Rat.

"Rabbit, give more." He persisted.

"From what? I have nothing."

"Rabbit has nothing?" The Rat asked squeakily. His hands rubbed together in distrust.

"Rabbit doesn't bring her coffin money when on a mission. That'll make rich enemies. Ask Raven when we are done. She might do that." Kaoru answered with a glare. "Rabbit is not supposed to deal."

"Rabbit is going to die already. Give Rat your money, Rat will buy you a nice coffin to go home in."

"Why will I be dying here?" Kaoru asked dangerously as she let her blade lean too close to the Rat's eyes.

"Carrion looking for Rabbit. Carrion want to kill Rabbit. Rabbit will die soon." The Rat declared with a happy cackle.

Kaoru's lips curled into a small grin. She knew she was being hunted down. "Rabbit can't die here tonight. If Rat shows me how to blow the place up and get away, Rabbit will give all coffin money to Rat."

"Deal?" the Rat

"Deal," Kaoru confirmed as she hefted a few boxes of explosives on her shoulders. Sano and the others caught the drift and picked up a box each.

The Rat scampered ahead, leading the way through a series of back alleys before a cellar door.

"There are cellar doors in Kyoto?" Kaoru asked the Rat silently.

"Some. People think they smart to make these funny doors. They actually more stupid. They make Rat job easier." The Rat smiled toothily in dental abhorrence.

Wary of a trap, Karou sensed the Ki in the store before she progressed. There were many fearful weak Ki above but the basement was not filled with many fighter Ki.

"We've got company." Sano grinned happily. He was spoiling for a fight.

"Fight as much as you want. No one here will think twice about any screaming." Kaoru advised as she slipped in to face a burly man. The hard smack of the explosives to his head knocked him out cold.

The others left the explosives on the floor and went in search of the guards. The warehouse was dimly lit which added to their advantage. The fighting trio was experienced and the shadows were their favored cover.

As the others took out the guards and inspected the weapons there, Kaoru arranged the explosives in positions that would destroy the arsenal and not the ceiling. A cave-in would make it overly messy. A long fuse was used to link each explosive together to ensure all were detonated.

"I have never before seen some of the weapons here." Aoshi informed them. The inspection had revealed many guns that had a bigger bullet capacity than those in the police force. There was a general lack of cannons but it was hard to transport such bulky artillery.

"Carrion is good at modifying weaponry. He is a blacksmith by training. He could have adjusted them to his taste." Kaoru supplemented.

Rat had kept close to Kaoru throughout and now tugged at her sleeve. "Need to go now. Too obvious."

Kaoru nodded as she followed him out a different way out. The gang stuck close together. Before exiting, Kaoru lit the fuse she had tucked into her belt.

"We have thirty counts before it blows. Rat, bring them back. I'll go to open the doors." Kaoru ordered.

"Don't die, Rabbit. Rat needs to collect coffin money first." The Rat lectured as he pulled Kenshin's sleeve to make them follow.

Kaoru chuckled at the phrase as she vanished to finish her task.

The screams and loud boom that followed the gang in their wake told them that the job was done.

A sooty Kaoru joined them in the old house again with blood splattered across her blade ushering them into the carriage as they walked quickly away from their hiding place. Kaoru only bothered to wear her hat again.

"Did you kill someone?" Kenshin asked quietly.

"If people didn't die from that explosion, I'm really bad at this job." Kaoru replied as she swung around to pick up Nightingale and Saitou in a back alley.

They thundered down the streets of Kyoto in the dead of the night that was punctured with screams and shouts from random corners.

"First aid is in the red box," Kaoru alerted them as she smelt the coppery tang of blood.

"Just a scratch, somebody's gun had more bullets than normal," Nightingale nodded as she made her makeshift bandage from the kit.

"How was the job?"

"Easy," Saitou stated as he inspected a light graze on his right shoulder.

"Not good." Kaoru declared.

"Why? Sorry if _me_ getting better annoys you." Nightingale huffed. "You smell a fish?"

"I don't know what I smell but this is too easy." Just when Kaoru said this sentence, a woman clad in black hopped easily onto the carriage.

"Kaoru, I need help." She said simply before Kaoru sliced her in half with her moon blade.

"She called you Kaoru." Sano spluttered. "Why did you kill her?"

"She's a traitor." Kaoru refused to explain.

"Only four people know you have an alias Kamiya Kaoru. Raven, Madame, Blade and me. Right?" Nightingale explained for her.

"Everyone else who calls me that is a traitor." Kaoru spoke softly even though her words carried the impact of an oncoming train.

"We've been infiltrated." Nightingale said her face stony.

"I'm taking a long route. Can you manage?"

"I'll do it even if it kills me. What are you thinking of?"

"They have an agenda we don't know. They must have a target tonight. It's not us though."

"Why? We are such an open target here."

"But they are not putting enough things down for us to stumble. Something is off. They must be aiming for someone else." Kaoru supplied as she kept her eyes firmly ahead.

"Who? Who would warrant such a loss? Tonight's actions are still a hefty price." Saitou questioned as he smoked. "There is some loss in funding today."

Kaoru stiffened as she figured it out. "Raven. He wants to kill Raven."

Nightingale looked at her in horrified understanding. "She's at the teahouse." That was what everyone but those who knew about this mission thought.

"He's attacking the teahouse." Kaoru stated as she pulled them further away from there.

"We should go back." Nightingale whispered.

"No. There is nothing we can do." Kaoru shook her head. "I'm bringing us back to the Aoiya. They could also be the target. The teahouse has many of us. If they die, it is only because they are not good enough."

Nightingale nodded her understanding. "Blade can handle it until we reach. How long?"

"Two hours if no one tries to stop us. Just after the crack of dawn."

"Just enough to be too late," Saitou pointed out. The others stiffened at the thought. Kenshin in particular gripped his sword more tightly than he already did.

"Kaoru?"

"Blade is more than enough. I'm more worried about us. We are too open."

"You are hiding something." Nightingale declared.

"Raven told Blade to guard the Aoiya. She wasn't sent there by random. Blade has some presents, so to speak, from Raven. Nothing adverse will happen."

"Good." Sano understood. "That's one less worry."

"And?" Nightingale prodded on.

"The Rat said there is a contract for my life."

"That's not possible. The real Kamiya Kaoru died some ten years ago. She doesn't exist. Why kill an alias? It's not worth the trouble of tracking you."

"He's killing the Jade Rabbit, not Kamiya Kaoru." Kaoru said irritated. "Of course, Kamiya Kaoru isn't worth any trouble."

"That makes more sense." Nightingale concluded. "But still, killing you or others like you is more trouble than it's worth."

"Why thank you. I'll take that as a compliment."

"He wants to kill the Jade Rabbits. Hmm… odd. You all are worth more alive than dead."

"Unless he knows something that makes Rabbits pests. There is something not right. Rabbits make really good bait and informants. We aren't valuable dead. "

"Worrying but not urgent. Now, keep us away from trouble." Nightingale recommended as she finished tending to her wound and saw to Saitou's. "You can worry about it once we are safe."

Kaoru bit her bottom lip in thought as she weaved their way through the back alleys.

* * *

FYI:

Shamisen is a three-stringed musical instrument played with a plectrum called a _bachi__._

Danna is the patron who sponsors the geisha's opulent lifestyle.

PLS PLS PLS Press the Button to R&R!


	25. Chapter 25

hey all, standard disclaimers apply.

sorry that took so long. i just started school again so really sorry to those who waited.XD

really thanks for all the reviews. they really made my day as i stare at the rain clouds. XD

* * *

The sun had already lit up the streets when they returned. Kaoru had reined in the horses to a slow canter for the most part of the journey to avoid attracting too much attention.

The streets of Kyoto were slowly bustling with life, hawkers had displayed their daily wares and called out to people on the streets.

"Can't we go any faster?" Sano whispered hurriedly.

"No." Kaoru stated as she nonchalantly looked at the peddler who brought his wares to the side of carriage. He was selling some hard biscuits and small snacks.

"I'll have four of all you got." Kaoru said as she dug her pockets for change.

"Big appetite, miss? Here you go." The peddler teased gently as he packed her stuff.

Kaoru smiled winningly as she placed the food next to her. "I have a brother who eats too much."

The peddler laughed heartily, replying, "That's boys for you. How else can they become as strong as oxen?"

Kaoru waited until they were out of earshot before she said, "Eat, we'll be there soon and you need strength."

"Here's some soft bread," Nightingale poked her hand out. "I wet it with water that you hid. You need to eat too, you are still recovering."

Kaoru ate without tasting as she pulled into yet another shortcut. "Is there enough water?"

"We can survive for a while longer. You can't. Your limit is reaching soon, isn't it?"

"I've got a bit more time." Kaoru assured. "I can crash later when we go back."

The sounds of munching told her that breakfast was already being devoured. They had slept for most of the journey since Kaoru promised to wake them up at the first sign of trouble.

"We are here," Kaoru said as she pulled up in a small side street. Guiding the carriage into the back of a small print shop, Kaoru was greeted by the owner with a cheery smile. He was a small unassuming man who kept his hands behind his back, looking like he was at parade rest.

"Nice to see you, Rabbit. You are in one piece. Excellent, I take it the job went well." His sharp voice piped.

"Yes. Thank you for loaning me the carriage. Here is your fee." Kaoru handled the transaction as the others climbed out.

"I look forward to the day you ask me for a carriage to handle more pleasant stock." The owner smiled as he waved them out of the shop.

"He knows?" Nightingale inquired.

"No." Kaoru snorted. "Do I look like an idiot? I told him I'm transporting secret lovers."

That startled out a laugh from Nightingale. "He believes you?"

"I'm really convincing," Kaoru smirked in confidence as she showed them the way back to the Aoiya. The gang kept really quiet as the back door that came into view was slightly open.

Kaoru and Nightingale shared a look. Each of them perched at each side of the door as Kaoru imitated a low whine. A returning whine had her nodding.

_They are safe, _Kaoru mouthed. _Need to check._

With that, the four men entered first as the women followed. They swept the grounds to find a horribly raided Aoiya with no sign of people.

"It's all clear here alright. There ain't anyone here." Sano burst in a fit of anger. "You said they were alright."

"Sano?" a small voice from under the Aoiya asked from the gap between the house and the ground.

"Yahiko, you there?" Kenshin asked as he crouched low.

"Yup," Yahiko pulled himself from under the house, all dirty and sweaty. "We all are."

Slowly the occupants emerged from under the house to the courtyard, filthy but otherwise safe.

Blade was the last to come out. "When I next see Raven, I'm giving her big sloppy kiss. Those boards she had are one heck of an illusion."

"I'll be sure to warn her," Nightingale joked. "You might scar her for life."

"Ha.Ha." Blade laughed dryly. "You can try hiding so many people in the middle of the night when surrounded from all directions."

"All things clear?" Kaoru asked, with her hands on her hips.

"Yes, my dear Rabbit. You can return to your beauty sleep." Blade said scathingly.

"There might not be a Sakura teahouse. I heard some murmurs in the market. Our entire district was torched last night." Kaoru informed.

"Who the heck would do that?" Blade yelled, her face red.

"The ones who want us dead, Blade." Nightingale answered tiredly. "You got any gear we can use? We can't walk around town like this." She asked ignoring the commotion as everybody tried to confirm that everyone else was all right at once.

"I got some kimono stashed but Kaoru, aren't you a bit paler than normal?" Blade questioned. She was very sharp on such matters.

"I'm fine as long as I sleep for a while. It's been a long two days." Karou yawned her reply.

"Tell us what you heard. We'll confirm and you can catch some Z's. You didn't sleep all night." Nightingale ordered.

"I heard that several of the teahouses on our street were burnt to the ground last night. They say it's arson. No survivors to speak off at the moment."

"Sounds bad," Blade added as she pulled out a few kimono from a room. "Change. We need to check. Kaoru, you stay here."

"I need to go back. I need to take some medicine before I sleep." Kaoru rubbed her face tiredly. "If not, I might not wake up."

The silence that fell was deafening.

"Do you have a sample? I can reproduce it," Megumi suggested, the first sign she saw Kaoru at all.

"No. Madame Butterfly has it."

"If she's dead, you going to stay awake for the rest of your short life?" Nightingale asked in mock disbelief.

Kaoru only glared in reply.

"Just sleep already, damn it. Your eyes look like a panda."

"You've never even seen a panda," Kaoru huffed as she leaned against a pillar and slept sitting upright.

"She's out cold." Blade snickered.

"She's only half asleep. If someone unfriendly comes here, she'll know and wake up. We need to get back now, Blade." Nightingale hurried. "Kaoru can hold the fort here."

"Sleeping?" Blade asked in jest.

"Yes, in sleep." Nightingale quickly changed and pulled Blade out on the streets.

The day dragged as the gang left Kaoru in her half dream state propped by the pillar. It was not that they did not want to help her, they could not find in their hearts to forgive her for her lies.

The fact that the dojo papers had been sent to them the day before with the deed signed off to Yahiko's name caused them to consider if Kaoru had any intention of returning.

Nevertheless, Misao had placed a thin blanket on Kaoru after the Aoiya was cleaned.

Kaoru stirred from her light sleep at midday. She had been sleeping in the sun for a long time and her face was scorching from the summer heat. With a half yawn, Kaoru folded the blanket neatly as she walked into the main building for the first time since she was dragged away.

"Kaoru," Okina called her warmly. "You can leave the blanket with me."

Smiling sweetly, Kaoru passed the blanket as requested.

"Why don't you go clean up? We'll be having lunch shortly."

"I'll pass lunch. I'm not hungry." Kaoru lied as she made her way to the baths. She was hungry but her hunger was no match to the pain she knew she would feel eating with the people she had loved as a family.

More important was the Sakura teahouse. If the district was razed, it would be necessary for her to made fake trails to show that Raven had indeed escaped. It would boost the morale of the Balancers and waste some resources of the enemy.

Biting her lip in consideration, Kaoru washed her teeth and face in a bucket of cold water.

"I thought you hated cold water." Yahiko spoke from behind her. He had come to see if she was joining them for lunch. Looking at her wash by the well made him think of the times even in summer when Kaoru made him heat the water for her.

"I do." Kaoru replied, "but my face is burnt from sleeping in the sun." another blatant lie. "Were you looking for me?"

"Are you joining us for lunch?" Yahiko asked in an unsure voice.

"You go ahead. I'm not hungry."

"Sure. Whatever." Yahiko blabbed as he walked away.

Kaoru watched his retreating figure with a wistful note. She would have loved to join them; there were so many things she wanted to share with them, even though it may have been too late.

Shaking her head, Kaoru went back to her thoughts. Doctor Genzai and the girls back home were her utmost concern. If Carrion knew about Kamiya Kaoru, he might know about them. After all, they were very close even before she met Kenshin.

_Sending them away would arouse too much suspicion and leaving them there was also a dangerous option._ Kaoru thought in worry. _I could ask them to go on vacation but so many people vacating the dojo at once would lead to rumors. _Pacing a little, Kaoru tried to put her thoughts in order with her lack of sleep.

There were many things she needed to do. People she should hide, not to mention herself. Someone had to take over her place in Aoiya before she could leave.

Her busy thoughts were interrupted as she sensed a strong ki, Saitou's approaching. She walked to the front to the Aoiya only to find Kenshin already there glaring at Saitou.

"I suppose you want to know what happened last night." Saitou stated as he made himself comfortable.

"All of the okiya on the lane had been torched. The estimated time was about three in the morning. Currently, Kyoto's geisha population has been whittled down to approximately thirty who were not there at the time. We're still pulling out bodies; the count was about forty so far within the Sakura teahouse itself. Looks like the Balancers took quite a beating last night." The last sentence was aimed at Kaoru.

Kaoru ignored the bait and silently counted the people present in the teahouse. There should be a hundred of the Balancers on duty so that meant that at worst half the numbers were gone. Many were unrelated staff employed to avoid suspicion, thus there should be more civilian casualties than Balancers. The Balancers would have gotten off lighter.

_If the Madame was dead, we would be free. _Kaoru thought.

Fat chance, a small voice in her head mocked. You should know better since you tried to kill her once yourself.

"We shouldn't have lost that many people." Kaoru answered after a while. "Most of the workers have no relation to the Balancers."

"Just a problem of being in the wrong place at the wrong time then?" Saitou mocked.

"I will not harm any one here, Mibu Wolf. Stop looking at me like I'm a spy." Kaoru said dryly.

"If you aren't, what would you be then? Slave number 28."

"I'm here because Madame has an order that one Balancer must be present in the Aioya at all times."

"Why follow her orders if she's already dead?"

_Because she's like a bloody cockroach that can't die, _Kaoru though as she amended her reply. "Madame Butterfly does not die so easily. If she is dead, I still have to wait for permission to leave. Madame Butterfly is not a name, it's a title."

"Who is the next in line then? Raven?"

"I have no idea. Nor do I care. Stop asking questions I have no answer for." Kaoru suggested, storming off.

Her rather hasty exit was blocked by Aoshi who planted himself at the door.

"We need to know more," he demanded with his stoic expression.

"More of what?" Kaoru snapped.

"Everything." Kenshin replied. This was the third time they had spoken since Kaoru confessed to have been spying on him.

Kaoru's head snapped in his direction. "I can't." _if I could, you would have known everything already,_ she thought silently.

"Yes, you can. There's no one here but us. What you say can stay with us," Misao added boldly.

"You have no idea what the Balancers can do." Kaoru informed them. "There are no secrets from the Balancers. There is nothing they can't find out. If you are thinking of hiding something from them, they'll know and make you regret that."

"You can trust us," Yahiko said with his eyes unwavering.

"It is not you I do not trust. There is no hiding from the Balancers. No matter how hard you try."

"Why don't you take a chance?" Misao asked, her tone pleading. "Why do we have to stand on opposite sides?"

_Because Kami is blind_, Kaoru thought as she elbowed her way out.

"Kamiya," a voice called from the door. Nightingale had returned as pristine as she left. "I got some news and letters for you."

Kaoru hid scowl as she took the pile of letters from Nightingale. "What news?" She inquired.

"We only lost five last night. Madame caught the traitors and some random people from Carrion's side to fill the numbers. Many of the people dead at the teahouse are to fill numbers, but you already knew that." Nightingale added as she caught Kaoru's expression. Kaoru merely shrugged.

"Madame is alive and kicking. No surprises there."

"I once took a knife and stabbed her straight in the heart. She didn't die and was scolding me the next day for being so merciful."

"I'm not much better," Nightingale added. "I poured a whole cup of arsenic in her tea once and she drank the whole thing without a twitch."

"That woman just can't die." The two women concluded together.

"Sounds like a formidable woman," Saitou commented, pleased at such an ally.

"You're telling me." Nightingale rolled her eyes.

Kaoru randomly sifted through her letters. She was not expecting any since she left the dojo and was wondering how such a huge stack came to her. The slightly crooked hand writing on the last envelope answered her queries.

_Doctor Gensai,_ Kaoru thought as she ripped open the letter.

"Why do you have mail, Kaoru? Who would care enough to write so many?" Nightingale leaned against the wall, her head cocked in challenge.

"Who knows? It could be more bills." Which reminded her she needed to pay the house tax soon. Kaoru breezed through the letter as Doctor Gensai stated his intention to go to Osaka to look for Megumi's family. Someone had told him that they have been living there. He would bring Ayame and Suzame along so if she came back from her trip, she did not have to worry about them being absent.

_He knows more than he lets on,_ Kaoru shook her head. _At least that is one less worry._

"Who, Kaoru?" Nightingale pressed on.

"It's a doctor who stays near me. I took care of his grandchildren once in a while. They are going Osaka for a bit and didn't want me to worry." Kaoru informed Nightingale and enlightened the gang who were trying to read the letters from behind her.

"You, friendly with a doctor? I never thought the day would come." Nightingale snorted to hide the pain she felt at having none of her own.

Kaoru understood perfectly as she tucked the rest of the letters away to stop rubbing salt in Nightingale's wounds.

"Are you taking over?" Kaoru inquired.

"Ya."

"See you then," Kaoru walked out the door.

"You're walking around in that?" Nightingale spluttered.

"No one will give me a second look. I blend easily remember."

"In that, you goanna have to look like a crow in the sky." Nightingale teased.

"All the more to enjoy the sun." Kaoru waved her comment off as she pranced.

"You should. There ain't goanna be any sun where we're going." Nightingale smiled after her.

* * *

_translation:_

_Japanese do not pluralize by adding 's' so the plural to' kimono' is 'kimono',' geisha' is 'geisha' and 'ninja' is 'ninja', etc. _

_**okiya **__is the establishment that houses geisha_

hope everyone enjoyed this new chappy!

pls R&R to tell me what you think


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